Welcome To My Nightmare
by pinkjasmin90
Summary: The worlds best Beybladers are participating in a teambuilding trip but things are going badly for Kai. His friendship with Tala changes into something he never wanted and the appearance of 'Brooklyn' doesn't help either. TalaxKai One-sided BrooklynxKai
1. Introduction

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WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE

**CHAPTER ONE-INTRODUCTION**

Second time lucky huh?

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RE-UPLOADED. Kai and the Blitzkrieg Boys are attending a compulsory teambuilding trip when a string of disturbing events threaten to ruin everything. Yaoi. TalaxKai & One-sided BrooklynxKai. Citrus. Rating will go up.

This is set about 6 months after G-Rev and the two **major** pairings will be TalaxKai and BrooklynxKai- though the latter will be non-consensual on Kai's part as stated in the summary. This fic will contain sexual stuff; much of which will be one-sided. There will be a lemon at the end and limes throughout. Yum.

This fic does contain some vampire stuff-its not quite as corny as it sounds, also, it bears no relation to Twilight-promise, though I've never actually seen/read any of the saga so technically it could be exactly the same…I doubt it though lol

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For those who read the original upload of this fiction and would like to see my reasoning behind having to re-upload it, check my profile.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Beyblade…if I did, Kai would be continuously attacked by other horny characters *cough* Tala *cough*

**Warnings:** (This only applies to the following chapter) Not much…just swearing …how boring Some slight UST between Kai & Tala

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Sunday 23rd October, 3.17pm

Kai's wilted finger hovered just inches above the 'pause' button, his bored amethyst eyes fixed on the screen as he debated whether or not another crappy song could be tolerated. Lips forming a thin line, the 16 year old jabbed the button harshly, tugging the little white buds from his ears as he did so.

Music had never really been Kai's thing; sure he could cope when it was being played in the background. Sometimes he even enjoyed the odd song, unable to resist the urge to drum his fingertips along to certain beats, but in Kai's mind, there was something so…pointless about listening to music for hours on end. Surely there were better ways to spend your time? Not that he had anything better to do _now_ of course, which is why he had bought the damn MP3 player…for _long_, _boring_ coach journeys.

Resting his elbow on the somewhat garish, grey table before him, the agitated Russian pressed his cheek against his knuckles, casting a rather lazy glance at the raging winds outside before refocusing his gaze on the ugly, blue fabric of the vacant seat opposite him.

Had Kai Hiwatari been the type of person who was easily impressed, he may have studied his surroundings for a moment longer, taking in the dark, European mountains that protruded from the ground like monstrous, ebony daggers. Had he paid any attention to the arguably picturesque scene beyond the bus window, the young blader might have been in awe of the thick blanket of evergreens which seemed to stretch on forever across the vast countryside. Had he been in the _least _bit interested, Kai might have marvelled at the sheer force of which the rain that was pelting the glass beside him, at the ridiculous strength of the howling wind.

But of course, Kai showed no interest. It took a _lot _to impress him.

However, a burst of colourful language from the very front of the vehicle _did _grab the slate haired youth's attention and his dark, amethyst eyes shifted to the couple who had just clambered aboard.

Tala and Bryan stood stiffly in the centre of the aisle, both absolutely soaked. The platinum haired blader, despite his often violent temperament, didn't seem in the least bit concerned that there was a steadily growing puddle of water accumulating at his feet. Unfortunately though, the same could not be said for Tala who looked positively furious.

"Fucking _rain!" _

The team captain stood in a somewhat hunched position, a deep scowl plastered to his pale face. Those two strips of crimson hair that fell before his eyes were now stuck to his cheeks and the white jacket that he wore so frequently clung to him far more tightly than it would have done had it been dry.

Kai blinked, subtly observing the way Tala's left eye twitched in utter irritation, his own lips threatening to break into an amused smirk. He watched as the redhead peeled off his drenched jacket, holding the garment at arms length, nose wrinkling in distaste at the dripping attire. Trying and failing to wring out the soaked material, Tala gave up, rolling his eyes and slinging it across the back of a vacant seat.

Bryan smirked at the redhead's behaviour and stepped around the slightly younger Russian, flopping down in the seat beside Spencer at the front of the bus.

"Mess up your hair?" he questioned with a chuckle, running a partially gloved hand through his own soaked tresses.

Once again, Tala's eye twitched and he scowled at the remark "I don't see why there wasn't a toilet on this damn coach anyway" he muttered bitterly, flashing an accusatory glare at the driver who was hunched timidly over the steering wheel.

Both Bryan and Spencer shared a satisfied smirk when they spotted the poor man tense in alarm, he didn't look at all pleased with having been assigned driver to the notoriously ill-tempered Blitzkrieg Boyz and had, so far, spent most of the journey chewing at his lip nervously.

"I'm sorry sir" he called back anxiously "The buses with lavatories have to be specifically booked and the BBA only-"

"Whatever" Tala interrupted sharply, waving his hand in a very dismissive manner "Just get us to the hotel before I catch pneumonia"

Bryan and Spencer snickered quietly and even Kai's lips curled into a noticeable smirk, Tala certainly had a way with words. Unfortunately for the youngest Russian however, the redhead looked up just as his smile appeared…

Masking his obvious amusement with a frown, the 16 year old averted his gaze, interested suddenly captured by the previously boring scene outside the window.

However, Tala had quite clearly seen him smirk and was now making his way down the aisle, balancing perfectly despite the sudden movement of the vehicle. Footsteps coming to a cease; Kai was forced to look up when he felt those piercing eyes on him.

"Mind if I sit?" the redhead asked, gesturing to the chair just across from Kai and the ugly table.

The 16 year old blinked, still silently amused that his captain was absolutely drenched. "Yes" he replied simply, resisting the urge to scowl.

Ignoring his teammate's ridiculously rude answer, Tala plonked himself down in the empty seat with a great lack of his usual grace, folding his arms and placing them on the grey plastic surface.

"You look happy" he stated sarcastically, staring directly at the boy opposite him.

Kai looked up through his slate veil, shooting Tala a lazy glare, he was _really _not in the mood for conversation. Then again, he was _never_ in the mood for conversation, but that was irrelevant.

Ignoring Kai's complete lack of response, the redhead ploughed on; "Excited about our impending week of fun?" he quizzed, quirking a brow.

The 16 year old sighed heavily, why did Tala insist on doing this?

"Ecstatic" he replied blandly, hoping his captain would get the message and fuck off so he could get back to staring at the various fixtures rather than the tiny droplets of water that were scattered across the redheads skin.

Tala snorted, peeling one of the crimson strips of hair from his eyes. "Yeah I can tell from that face of yours," he replied sardonically "you look like one of those English Bulldogs"

Kai's gaze snapped from a wet collarbone to cerulean orbs in an instant, his own eyes narrowing angrily.

The redhead smirked, though he held up his hands in a defensive manner "Calm down" he said in that impossibly smooth yet arrogant voice "Didn't mean to insult your precious face"

Kai's eye twitched in annoyance, his neck feeling oddly hot. "Hn" he offered, watching the scenery outside pass by as the bus continued to move.

"…so," Tala spoke again, much to his teammates exasperation "you looking forward to seeing Tyson again?" he asked boldly.

Kai merely shrugged

"…Think it'll be awkward?"

Rolling his eyes skywards, Kai shook his head in despair "What's with all the questions?" he demanded, pulling off his scarf as the heat from his neck rose to his cheeks. The 16 year old literally couldn't speak to Tala for more than a few minutes without feeling feverish, Kai had long since come to the conclusion that he was allergic to annoying people.

Piercing blue eyes swept across the newly exposed flesh less than subtly before Tala refocused his gaze on Kai's face "Just trying to pass the time" he admitted flatly, drumming his fingertips on the cool, grey table.

The younger of the two boys watched as the tendons in Tala's hands surfaced in sequence-for once he wasn't wearing gloves. Kai couldn't quite make out the rhythm of his tapping, it seemed fairly random…not that he particularly cared.

"…I don't see why we have to be here anyway"

The redhead glanced up, mildly surprised that Kai was willingly prolonging the conversation, it was happening more and more frequently now though, and Tala couldn't help but find that rather satisfying.

"I know," he agreed with a nod "shipping us all off to some hotel for 'teambuilding' this close to the championships when we could be training, it's stupid"

In return, Kai offered a tiny smirk "Exactly"

Leaning back in his seat, the younger teen rolled his head to the right, idly staring at the raindrops on the glass beside him. Tala meanwhile, fixed his gaze on Kai's bare neck, subconsciously wetting his lips

"Well it's only a week…" he reminded offhandedly "What's the worst that could happen?"

Kai exhaled deeply, torn between replying courteously and telling his captain to stop ogling him quite so obviously "Yeah I guess…" he mumbled.

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Oh dear, how cliché is that line? "What's the worst that could happen?"

Anywayyyy….YAY! It's finally back…not that you care but I'm rather pleased haha

Umm, the vast majority of dialogue in this chapter would have been spoken in Russian apart from Tala's conversation with the driver which would have been in Japanese. I chose not to differentiate this time but I'll use italics in other chapters to indicate language.

Reviews are not _that _important this time round as I just want to get this finished but I would like to hear what you think if you have the time as they do motivate me. No flames though


	2. Accommodation

**WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE**

**CHAPTER TWO- ACCOMMODATION**

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**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Warnings: **Umm swearing for this particular chapter, slack-bashing lol

_Italics:_ Speaking in Japanese

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Thank you **very** much to those who took the time to review, that's the reason I managed to update so fast! XD

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Sunday 23rd October, 4.56pm

"You have _got _to be kidding me"

Bryan was the first of the group to speak, one shaggy, grey eyebrow elevating in obvious distaste as he scrutinised their surroundings.

"How does Dickenson find these places?" Spencer mused aloud, folding his big, globular arms across his chest "It's older than the _abbey_" he marvelled.

The hotel, if you could call it that, looked as though it had been plucked straight from an oil painting, right down to the black brick and the thick layer of mist that lingered at the very top of the building, making it impossible to see any of the impressive cone turrets.

Kai frowned, adjusting the rucksack on his shoulder. How painfully cliché.

Apparently Tala wasn't all that impressed either, because_ his_ eyes were on the second white bus that had just pulled up adjacent to theirs. "Hm," he smirked, a sharp canine slipping passed his curved lips "Looks like the Rugrats have arrived…"

Kai glanced up, the sound of the coach engine cutting out was muffled severely by a sudden bout of high pitched noise. Mere seconds later, the doors of the bus slid open and a very queasy looking Daichi Sumeragi toppled out, clutching his abdomen as if his life depended on it.

"_Oohh man…_" he groaned, falling into a heap just beside the vehicle "_I think I'm gonna puke"_

"_Boy it feels good to stretch my legs!_"

Kai's eye gave an involuntary twitch as Tyson appeared, jumping off the bus and nearly crushing Daichi in the process. The world champion grinned, giving the minute redhead a little prod with his foot. "_What's up with you monkey boy?_" he demanded "_I thought you only got sick on planes?_"

Tyson's only response was a sickly grunt and the Japanese teen laughed, straightening his clothes in a very self-important manner. _"Well __**I**__ feel great" _he told his nauseous teammate, having not yet noticed the four Russian's just metres away _"In fact, I think I'm gonna head straight to the buffet!" _

At the mention of food, Daichi's already ashen face paled further and he turned away, feeling the unmistakable rise of vomit in his throat.

"_Hey Tyson you really shouldn't be so-ahhh!"_ Hilary's scolding tone turned into a squeal of absolute horror when Daichi stumbled forward, accidently, yet rather conveniently, covering her entire lower half with digested food.

For a moment, the brunette stood absolutely still, her wide, brown eyes staring down at her ruined shorts. The calm before the storm…

"_DAICHIYouLittleMonster!!!"_ she screamed, lunging at the redheaded midget with outstretched arms.

Tyson meanwhile, was laughing uncontrollably and Kenny, who had just appeared at the coach entrance, looked thoroughly confused by the situation and was gripping his laptop securely.

"Heh"

Kai's amethyst eyes slid to the left where Tala was wearing a very prominent smirk. "What?" he asked coldly, not entirely sure that he wanted to know what the redhead was thinking.

Lips curling further, Tala glanced at Kai "You must've fitted in _so well _with them" he said smoothly, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The slate haired Russian frowned but decided it was best not to disagree with his captain this time. Instead, he watched on indifferently as Tyson laughed hysterically and Hilary attempted to rid herself of Daichi's liquidized lunch without actually having to touch any of the disgusting bile.

It was, in a word, chaos.

Fighting back his growing smirk, Tala decided it was best to exert his role as captain "C'mon," he instructed flatly "We should leave these brats to it and check ourselves in…"

Bryan and Spencer sneered unashamedly, grabbing their luggage as they started towards the enormous oak doors of the main entrance. However, a familiar voice stopped them dead in their tracks.

"_Well, well, well…if it isn't the Blitzkrieg Boyz"_

Kai stiffened at the sound of that unmistakably egotistical voice, lips forming a thin line as he tried to ignore the almost unbearable urge to turn and scowl right in the smirking face of the BBA coach he despised so much.

"_Well, well, well…"_ Tala quipped with an amused grin, placing one hand on his hip in a highly condescending fashion _"If it isn't Hiro Granger, the only male under thirty who makes the conscious decision to wear beige slacks"_

Kai coughed quickly to disguise the unexpected laugh that just about slipped passed his lips. Hiro didn't appear to have noticed his blunder but the slate haired teen inwardly cursed when he felt a pair of satisfied blue eyes on him. Both Bryan and Spencer laughed shamelessly, their amusement only intensified by the look of anger on Hiro's previously smug face.

Tyson, who had, until that moment, been completely unaware of the group's presence frowned and twisted his body to get a look, mahogany eyes widening in surprise when he caught sight of his ex-captain.

_"Woah! Kai!" _he positively beamed_ "How have you been man!?"_

Daichi, who was still clutching his stomach, looked up wearily _"…Kai?" _he mumbled, brow knotting in confusion as if he were unsure as to whether or not he was hallucinating in his ill state.

The Russian in question resisted the urge to roll his eyes _"…Tyson" _he acknowledged flatly, folding his arms.

Tala bit back a smirk.

_"So…" _it was none other than Hiro who broke the awkward silence _"you stayed with the same team this time round huh? Is that some kind of record for you?"_

Before Kai could even think about responding, the redhead beside him let out a soft chuckle _"Sorry to be the one to break this to you Hiro, but Kai doesn't quit good teams"_

Hiro cocked an eyebrow and folded his arms, seemingly unaffected by the barefaced insult. _"Oh really?" _he questioned _"Well I guess that would explain why he ditched you back at the championships in Moscow"_

Kenny, who had stepped off of the bus once Hilary had calmed slightly, looked to the ground nervously, the grip on his laptop intensifying at the prospect of a confrontation.

Tala tilted his head to one side, a devious little smirk finding its way to his lips. Kai knew from experience that this meant his captain had a _very_ unpleasant response at the ready and, as expected, the redhead took a small step forward preparing to deliver one of his notoriously quick-witted and brutal comebacks. Kai rolled his eyes; Tala was far too easily lured into arguments.

Opening his mouth to supply said retort, Tala frowned when he was addressed in Russian, a hand brushing against the strap on his left cuff. "He's not worth it"

Throwing his youngest teammate a perplexed glance, Tala couldn't help but stare down at his bare hand, where he knew Kai's fingers had touched just moments ago, a rather self-satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.

_"Oh, cat got your tongue?"_

The redhead looked back to the male standing before him, expertly concealing the almost lecherous grin with a frown _"Excuse me?" _he asked, flexing his fingers as a tingle rushed across his palm.

_"Uh, coach Hiro…" _Hilary piped up in that impossibly high voice, the stench of vomit causing the indigo haired man to recoil slightly "Don't you think we should check in…its getting late and it looks like it might rain again"

Daichi, who seemed to have recovered remarkably, straightened up and strolled over to the coach _"Yeah I agree"_ he chirped _"Plus, I just barfed my lunch all over Hil and I need to replenish my strength" _he said seriously, unaware of Hilary's reddening face.

_"Why you little-"_

"_Hey cool it!" _Daichi defended hotly _"It was an accident! Not my fault your big butt got in the way"_

"_ARGH!" _Clenching both fists, the brunette looked about ready to implode, causing Kenny to once again seek refuge in the bus with nothing but his laptop for comfort. Completely oblivious to his imminent death, Daichi cracked his knuckles loudly and stretched his arms above his head. "_Race you to the buffet!" _he declared, making a dash for the enormous wooden doors. Tyson frowned, head snapping to the side as he watched his departing teammate.

_"H-Hey! I wasn't ready! Get your butt back here Daichi!" _he shouted, already breaking into a run _"See you later guys!!" _he called back as an afterthought _"Oh and Kai! We should totally have a battle later!"_

The 16 year old Russian bristled considerably, Hiro smirked.

_"Well I guess that's my cue to leave"_ The indigo haired coach said slowly, his eyes trained specifically on Kai _"You boys better stay in line this week-"_

"_Bye Hiro"_ Tala interrupted with an innocent smile, giving the older male an enthusiastic wave which resulted in yet more quiet chuckles from Bryan and Spencer _"We'll be on our best behaviour"_ he assured with a sugary sweet grin.

The coach glowered but turned away nevertheless, making his way over to the stone steps.

"Well," Tala mumbled, his brow contorting into a frown as he picked up his bag "I can just tell this week is gonna be _great_ fun"

Kai folded his arms tightly, lagging behind slightly as his teammates trailed up the stone steps. A small shiver crept up his spine as he walked…he didn't have a very good feeling about any of this…

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Umm… yeah…don't like it lol It was just a filler...set in one place...with the same people....:S

Errrr, Tala will start to…come out of his shell in the following chapters, or in other words, live up to his self-proclaimed title as the world's biggest pervert. Lol

Would absolutely love to hear what you think if you have the time, No nasty flames though!! :D


	3. Baby Of The Team

**WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE**

**CHAPTER THREE- BABY OF THE TEAM**

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Incase I hadn't already mentioned, Kai will be uke in this fic. Not as in; "Oh Tala, I am a delicate flower" but uke in the sense that Tala is _slightly_ less submissive than him. Lol.

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Thanks **so much** for the lovely reviews, I **really** appreciate them :D

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**Disclaimer: **See Chapter One

**Warnings:** Very light swearing

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This is a direct continuation of the previous chapter

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Sunday 23rd October, 5.08pm

Making sure to hold the door open for his dawdling teammate, Tala waited patiently for Kai to catch up, a frown touching his brow when he noticed the 16 year old fail to suppress a small shiver.

"What's wrong?" he asked bluntly. Subtlety had never been Tala's forte and to be completely frank, the redhead found that a direct approach was often more effective when it came to Kai.

The Russian in question looked up through his hanging slate bangs, realising that his captain was now obstructing the entrance, arms folded, eyebrows raised. "Nothing" he replied flatly, coming to a halt several feet before the redhead, quelling the unjustified sense of apprehension with a knot of his eyebrows.

"You're not sick are you?"

Kai blinked "I don't get sick" he stated monotonously, amethyst eyes narrowing of their own accord when Tala didn't step aside.

"There's a first time for everything" the redhead retorted, tilting his head to the side in his signature I'm-the-captain pose.

Kai grit his teeth, also folding his arms "In which case, maybe you should try leaving me alone for five minutes" he replied coldly "It would be the first time you've done that since…well ever"

Tala smirked, placing one hand on his hip but remaining in the younger boys way "Aw don't say that," he reprimanded light-heartedly "You and I both know you'd miss my TLC if it was gone"

Kai scowled, his temperature starting to rise once again, it seemed that his 'allergic to idiots' theory was certainly vindicated

"I doubt that very much" Kai answered flatly, giving the redhead a hard look and taking a small step forward, urging Tala to move aside.

"You know…"

The 16 year olds eye twitched in irritation. He had a good mind to just push his captain out of the way and bring an end to this pointless conversation.

"It's not meant in a patronising way" Tala informed "I'm just looking out for the baby of the team" he grinned, blue eyes sparkling when Kai's body tensed in utter annoyance.

"_Don't _call me that" the younger Russian seethed. It was bad enough when the redhead referred to him in such a way in private, but right now they were just metres away from Kai's old teammates and the slate haired teen would have rather died than let people hear him labelled the Blitzkrieg Baby.

"Why not?" the redhead asked, feigning a look of confusion "It's a term of endearment" Tala's grin widened, it was a rather fitting name in his opinion; after all, Kai _was_ the youngest and smallest. Besides, he knew the 16 year old absolutely despised the term after having been both the oldest _and _tallest on his previous team.

Once again, Kai bristled, the heat in his cheeks, which had subsided somewhat, returned full force in what the young Russian assumed was anger. He was well aware that Tala was only doing this to get a rise out of him. Had it been any other person, the slate haired youth would have resisted the urge to retort but Tala was capable of infuriating him to such an extent that he could do nothing but snap back at the redhead.

"You only do it to piss me off!" Kai hissed, cheeks darkening "Now get out of my way"

The redhead blinked, lips curling into a genuine smile when he noticed the pink tinge to his teammates face. He had known Kai for a _long _time and took great pride in being able to spot the difference between an expression of anger and one of an embarrassment, in this case, the latter was present. Holding up his hands in a peaceful manner, Tala moved to the side, finally letting the 16 year old pass.

Which he swiftly did, eyes lowered…

The 18 year old shook his head, a sharp canine sliding passed his curled lips as he followed the younger teen across the threshold. Oh how he loved to tease Kai…it was beyond satisfying

Squinting against the sudden light of the hotel lobby, Tala let the heavy wooden door creak shut behind him, piercing blue eyes sweeping across the room. Truth be told, it was quite a pleasant surprise, the interior was a complete contrast to the outside of the building. The lobby alone was filled to the brim with expensive furnishings and lavish decorations that Tala could only assume cost thousands. Nodding in silent approval, the redhead glanced to Kai. The slate haired teen didn't look all that impressed but then again, Tala deduced that he was used to such opulence.

Folding his arms, Kai tried not to appear overly nonchalant, of course, he wasn't in the slightest bit impressed with the hotel, he had stayed in far nicer places but the slate haired teen decided that he best not mention this to his captain, after all, his teammates_ already_ thought he was spoilt….

Luckily, their little delay had meant that the BBA Revolutions were already filtering out of the lobby, though Tyson did turn and give his old captain and enthusiastic wave, narrowly avoiding smacking a very disgruntled Hilary in the face.

Kai frowned, not bothering to reciprocate the gesture in any way. He did however, scowl when he spotted Bryan and Spencer piling into an elevator.

"Oh thanks for waiting!" Tala called, rolling his eyes at the pair who just shrugged indifferently as the doors slid shut.

Kai gave a snort of annoyance, quickly making his way over to the big, oak reception desk in the very centre of the lobby, an attractive woman sat behind it, her long, chestnut hair settled just above her shoulders. Looking away from the computer she had been typing at, the brunette greeted the approaching Russians with a pleasant smile, revealing a set of slightly crooked yet gleaming white teeth.

"_Good evening gentlemen_" she said in a heavily accented voice, turning her chair away from the computer screen to face the teens properly "Are you checking in?"

Forcing a tight smile in return, Kai nodded. Tala however, was too preoccupied with trying to decipher the impossibly long name on her identification badge and he squinted at her large chest, hoping to read the Eastern European name. Glancing at his unusually quiet captain, Kai frowned when he noticed the redhead positively gaping at the poor receptionists bosoms.

"Pervert" he muttered in Russian, narrowing his eyes at nothing in particular.

Tala blinked, looking at his teammate in confusion "What? I-"

"_Okay"_ the brunette smiled, having not been aware of the mini-argument unfolding before her "_May I have your team name please_"

"_Blitzkrieg Boys_" Kai answered in a sharp tone, ceasing any further excuses from Tala who rolled his icy, blue eyes in exasperation.

"_Right,_" the receptionist smiled, pivoting her chair back to the computer screen where she began to type at an impossibly fast speed. "_Well I just checked two of your teammates into room 111 so…_" again, she started to type, her long red fingernails tapping at the computer keys loudly "_I'll put you both in room 112_"

Tala shrugged, Kai frowned.

"_Together?_"

The redhead quirked a brow, resting his palm on the polished oak surface of the desk "Oh gee Kai, don't look _quite _so happy. I'm not _that_ bad" he said flatly, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone as he placed his free hand on his hip.

The 16 year old shot an incredulous glare at his captain "Hn. That's your opinion" he mumbled, turning his body to face the receptionist rather than the redhead. Giving her name badge a quick glance, Kai realised that her first name was Ecaterina, though he didn't dare attempt to pronounce her surname, it was at least seven syllables…

Having waited for the two boys to finish their conversation, the brunette gave Kai another smile, lacing her fingers together on top of the desk pad "_Actually sir, you won't be sharing a room, you'll be sharing a suite. There's a very nice longue area which is attached to two double rooms and a shared bathroom._" She explained as if she were reading from a script.

Kai nodded; at least he wouldn't be forced to spend more time than was necessary with his incessantly irritating captain.

Exposing her teeth with yet another smile, 'Ecaterina' took a piece of paper from a small pile to her right and handed it to Kai, who was slightly closer than Tala.

"_Here is your itinerary,_" she said politely "_There will be an introductory meeting in twenty minutes_"

Kai grimaced, looking at the seemingly endless schedule. The 'introductory meeting' alone was set to last for two hours and, according to the itinerary, was to be chaired by Mr Dickenson and Hiro.

Suppressing a wince of dread, the 16 year old extended his hand to take the room key he was being offered.

"_Enjoy your stay_"

Sunday 23rd October, 5.20pm

"Ladies first"

Kai scowled but shuffled passed his captain regardless, having had the room key snatched from him at some point on their journey up the stairs, the lift having taken too long. Tala smirked, also making his way into the suite and kicking the door shut behind him.

The room was nice, as expected from the general adornment of the rest of the hotel, and it smelt strongly of cleaning products. Tala wrinkled his nose as he flopped down onto one of the pristine sofas, throwing his bag onto the soft, cream carpet.

"So we have 15 minutes until that meeting…" he said offhandedly, glancing at the slate haired youth who lingered by the doorway "Anything you wanna do?"

Kai shook his head, as was custom "Not really" he answered flatly, walking over to one of the bedroom doors and pushing it open with his shoulder. Throwing his bag into the room, Kai didn't even bother to look inside before turning back and making his way across the lounge.

"Where're you going?" Tala asked bluntly, raising an intrigued eyebrow as his teammate walked over to the exit.

"None of your business" came the bland reply

Rolling his eyes, Tala twisted his body to give his teammate a stern look "Kai," he pressed, smirking slightly "Where. Are. You. Going?"

"…just to look around" the younger Russian surrendered begrudgingly, pulling open the door with an exasperated glare.

Tala frowned, sitting up straight from his slouched position "What about the meeting?" he asked, looking as though he was torn between following Kai and leaving him to it.

"…tell them I'm not feeling too great" the 16 year old instructed, crossing the threshold and letting the door swing shut behind him, silencing any further protests from his captain.

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I know that Russia is technically in Eastern Europe and so the likelihood that Tala wouldn't be able to read a Romanian name is very small. However, I needed to convey a slight sense of jealousy on Kai's part and this is the only way I could think of doing so…okay? XD

Ecaterina is actually a Romanian name, it's translated as Katherine.

Also, there is a nice little **moment** between Kai and Tala in the next chapter so look out!

Please review if you have the time, they help me update! XD lol


	4. Strange Sighting

**WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE**

**CHAPTER FOUR- STRANGE SIGHTING**

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**Disclaimer: **See Chapter One

**Warnings:** Ermmm...nothing...I think

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An **enormous **thank you for the simply lovely reviews!

Enjoy!

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Sunday 23rd October, 6.25pm

Stifling yet another exasperated sigh, Kai pulled his scarf up further, covering his nose as well as his mouth to offer at least some protection against the dust that was already making his throat hurt. Squinting against the darkness of the corridor, the 16 year old continued to make his way forward with nothing but the sound of his footsteps accompanying him.

Kai was _lost. _

…Not that this little technicality bothered him in the slightest, it was just rather inconvenient. Especially since the slate haired Russian had risen especially early that morning to catch a flight to Bucharest and had then remained awake throughout the duration of that painfully _long_ coach journey to the hotel.

Rolling his eyes in irritation, Kai continued to make his way along the cold stone passageway. In his opinion, it was the _hotels_ fault. What kind of place would welcome in guests having yet to renovate half of the building? Of course, there had been that little sign "No admittance to guests". Kai snorted, it was practically an invitation. Had it not been hung up, he probably wouldn't even have bothered to take a look around the old part of the building but there was something so tempting about a place that was off limits…the hotel should have known that…so it was their fault. Obviously.

But at least there was no chance that Kai would run into any of his ex-teammates while he was wondering the walkways…that was a bonus

Running his left index finger along the cold brick as he walked, Kai attempted to create a trail in the thick layer of dust to eliminate the chance of him walking in circles around the seemingly endless corridors, however the slate haired Russian neglected to notice the identical markings on the opposite wall…

Kai frowned, stopping just beneath a dim light bulb that hung on a tatty piece of wire. He'd been here before…

Standing up on his tiptoes, the young Russian grabbed the bulb, unaffected by the scorching glass in his thinly clad palm, and directed it at the opposite wall.

The 16 year old grit his teeth, his gorgeous amethyst eyes instantly drawn to the steady, dustless streak on the parallel bricks. It seemed that despite his best efforts, he _had _ended up walking in circles.

Letting the dirty, yellow bulb swing back to its original position, Kai clenched his fists, this was starting to get _incredibly _frustrating…

Lips forming a thin line, the 16 year old folded his arms angrily, leaning against the wall with a loud huff. It wasn't until a rather large cloud of dust sprang forward that he realised his mistake.

Moving away from the grey haze, Kai twisted his body at a rather comical angle, trying to get a glimpse at his back.

"You have got to be kidding me…" he mumbled, catching sight of the hideous black marks on the back of his clothes, even his scarf tails looked as though they'd been dipped in charcoal. Running his hands through his hair, Kai drew in a deep breath, he had the powerful urge to rip out the soft, slate strands but he knew that would solve nothing…he was also quite pleased with the way his hair looked…not that he'd ever admit it of course.

Having decided to leave his attractive tresses intact, Kai began to stalk forward at a rather relentless pace. He was cold, he was pissed and now he was filthy. The 16 year old knew his previous feeling of dread hadn't been unfounded, and now it was clear why…he could tell this trip was going to be an enormous waste of time…

Slipping his icy hands into his pockets, Kai curled his right fingertips around Dranzer, a reassuring warmth instantly snaking up his arm. A soft smile tugged at the Russian's lips, his previously dark mood brightened slightly as he continued forward, a comforting heat pulsating through his veins.

Sunday 23rd October, 6.37pm

A low growl crept up Kai's aching throat as he came to a halt in the very centre of another murky, stone corridor. The thought of ripping out his hair was steadily becoming more tempting and that worried the 16 year old severely. He was pretty certain that he'd look like an egg if he dared do it and that didn't appeal to him at all. Sure, he'd be a very handsome egg…but an egg nonetheless.

Luckily, Kai was wrenched from his musings when something brushed against his cheek. The 16 year olds brow contorted into a frown and he brought his palm up to his face, pushing whatever it was away, dismissing it as a cobweb or something similar. But after just a few seconds, the same sensation returned to tickle his cheek lightly. Kai's frown deepened and he tried again to push away the irritant. This time however, he managed to catch the article between his fingers…

Hair?

Kai's top lip curved in perplexity as he pushed it back behind his ear only to have another wisp assault his forehead. Was there some kind of draft in here?

The 16 year old smirked, trying to deduce where the source of the breeze was, if he could follow it, then perhaps it would lead to some kind of door to outside and if the slate haired youth could get out of the hotel, he could re-enter via the lobby and go straight back to his room. Simple.

…and genius in his opinion.

As he walked, Kai could feel the wind on his face growing stronger he could even begin to smell the rain outside but he still couldn't see any door. The only thing noticeable other than the dirty brick walls was a large arch carved into the stone.

Kai blinked…was that a window?

Taking a step forward, the Russian examined the hollowed out arc. Sure enough, the arch itself was brick but the interior looked to be made of something different. Extending his arm, he gave the black slab a little tap, only to discover that is was glass. Kai tilted his head to the side…so it _was _a window, albeit a very dirty one. Shrugging dejectedly, the 16 year old took a step back, intent on continuing his seemingly pointless trek around the ancient looking passageways. However, as he did so, a thought struck him. If he was able to see out of the window, Kai reasoned that he'd be able to deduce exactly where he was in relation to the surrounding area…at least then he'd have a vague idea of which direction to head…

Turning back to the filthy glass, Kai grabbed one of his scarf ends, it was already completely caked in dust so he didn't have any qualms about what he was about to do with it.

Bringing the previously white fabric up to the window, the 16 year old began to wipe at the black pane, smearing the stubborn muck away to clear the glass. It was hard work, but the young Russian was never one to give up and so he persisted in his miniature scrubbing mission until the glass was _finally _clean enough to see through.

Resting his palms on the internal stone ledge, Kai leant out, his nose just an inch or so away from the thin glass. He could see…trees. Evergreens to be precise. The 16 year old frowned, that was hardly helpful, as far as he knew the hotel was surrounded by them. Exhaling deeply, Kai leant out further, straining his eyes to pick out _anything_ that might help identify his location. Unfortunately, it had grown incredibly dark and the young Russian found himself unable to pick out the smallest of details, let alone see anything significant enough to help him even slightly.

On the verge of admitting defeat and spending the rest of his life eating dust from his own scarf, Kai pulled back, only to see something violet flash across his peripheral vision. Quirking a brow, the 16 year old leant forward once more, a frown tugging at his brow when another mauve flare rushed across the hill side.

…it looked like a beyblade

Kai's frown deepened, who would be out there at this time? Surely every blader staying at the hotel would be in the meeting…everyone except him. Besides, Kai was almost certain that he'd never seen a 'blade emit light of such a colour. It was strange…the purple light was bright but it seemed almost…dull at the same time, like it had been shadowed somehow. In fact, the only beyblade Kai could ever recall producing anything remotely similar was…Black Dranzer…

The young Russian shook his head, dismissing the thought. Surely it wasn't a dark bitbeast? Black Dranzer was one of a kind…and she had been destroyed, Kai had done so himself, nobody here could possibly have access to such a beyblade…he was certain.

Fingernails scraping against the icy cold stone, Kai moved just that little bit further forward, the draft from the window sending wisps of slate hair away from his eyes. In the darkness, the 16 year old could see nothing, but when that flash of violet rushed through the trees…it highlighted something. Something that looked like a figure.

Kai narrowed his eyes, who the hell was it? He definitely wasn't close enough to identify the person, though had it been lighter, Kai was sure he'd be able to. It was obviously somebody from their party…after all, what would anybody else be doing way out in the Transylvanian countryside?

Balancing on just one hand, Kai brought his fist up to the glass and gave it a small tap. For a while, he could see nothing, but all of a sudden, that mauve light dashed through the thick trees and highlighted the figure for a second time.

It was staring _straight_ at him…

"What are you doing?"

The slate haired youth jerked forward, narrowly avoiding smacking his nose on the windowpane as the breath caught in his throat.

"What the hell!?" he demanded, spinning around to shoot a horrific glare at his captain who was standing casually just metres behind him "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Tala smirked, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he took a step forward, arms folded "God Kai, you're getting careless" he observed in that smarmy tone the younger Russian found so irritating "Didn't think it was possible to catch you off guard…"

Kai glared, placing his hands on his hips before realising who it was that usually adapted that pose. Quickly folding his arms, the 16 year old titled his head to the left "Yeah, well you obviously have a talent for creeping up on people," he retorted "Maybe you should put that gift to good use and go stalk someone else" he bit out angrily.

Tala's smirk broadened, never one to be affected by any of Kai's insults "Now why would I do that when I'm having so much fun stalking _you_?" he asked, flashing the younger boy a toothy grin.

Kai frowned, not entirely sure that he understood the comment. Luckily, Tala decided to change the subject "So what _were_ you doing?" he repeated, nodding towards the little window. The 16 blinked, having completely forgotten about the figure outside…

Turning back to the glass, Kai squinted through the blackness, completely ignoring Tala. He couldn't see a thing…even the purple light had seemingly vanished. Stifling an irritated growl, the slate haired teen turned back to his captain, still glaring.

Now he'd never know who it was…all thanks to that _idiot_

Said 'idiot' grinned and took another step forward, trying for himself to see what it was that had caught his teammates attention. "I can't see anything" he stated bluntly, leaning out onto the ledge and forcing Kai aside.

The slate haired teen's eye twitched in irritation, his cheeks heating up _again_.

"…why aren't you at the meeting?" Kai questioned suddenly, folding his arms tightly.

Tala straightened up and moved away from the window, satisfied that there was nothing unusual outside. "Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes" the younger boy replied simply

Rolling his eyes, Tala placed a hand on his hip "They gave us a ten minute break," he explained "…I told Mr. Dickenson you weren't feeling well and he sent Hiro up to our room"

Kai frowned, silently wondering why the redhead hadn't been more tactful.

"So anyway," Tala continued, oblivious to his teammate's irritation "because you weren't in your room, Hiro thinks you just decided not to go to the 'highly important meeting' for the sheer hell of it and now he's on the rampage…"

It was Kai's turn to roll his eyes "Okay" he mumbled

"…but…he was only in our room for about a minute," the redhead informed seriously "If he catches up with you, just say you'd gone to Bry and Spencer's suite for some painkillers or something…"

Kai blinked, slightly surprised by Tala's thoughtfulness

As if reading the younger boys mind, the 18 year old smirked "Don't look _quite_ so surprised" he said smoothly "I can be nice sometimes"

Folding his arms uncomfortably, Kai looked at the floor "…thanks" he surrendered, not entirely sure why he was saying it.

Another grin pulled at Tala's lips and he raised a satisfied eyebrow "No problem"

Chewing at the insides of his mouth, Kai shot his captain a thoughtful look "…was I the only person who didn't go to that meeting?" he asked suddenly, thinking back to the blader outside the window.

Tala frowned "…yeah," he replied, slightly confused by the odd question "why?"

"You're sure?" Kai pressed, ignoring the inquiry completely

The redhead nodded, though he still looked mildly puzzled "Positive" he affirmed

That was impossible…somebody else _had _to have been missing from that meeting. Unless…Kai frowned, Tala had said they'd been given a ten minute break. Perhaps somebody had decided to use that time to blade…but that wouldn't explain the odd light, _or _how said person would have managed to get so far away from the hotel in such a short time. It didn't make any sense…

"Uh _hello"_

Kai's head snapped up "What?" he asked flatly

Tala cocked his head to the side, his icy blue eyes sparkling in amusement "You just spaced out on me" he stated "…and what the hell happened to your clothes?" he laughed suddenly, having only just noticed the thick sheet of grey on Kai's back.

The boy in question gave his captain an incredulous look "It's dust" he said slowly, as if he were speaking to a particularly slow child.

Tala smirked "Yes, I can see that," he replied in a similar tone "…what the hell were you doing? Making snow-angels on the floor?"

Kai scowled, attempting to brush off at least some of the dust.

"Ha!" the redhead scoffed, pointing at the 16 year old "you managed to get your precious scarf dirty too"

Grinding his teeth together, Kai ignored the comment and continued to swipe at his jeans, only succeeding in amassing another cloud of filth. Although he was unable to see through the grey powder, the slate haired teen was sure that his captain was smirking at him… probably snickering as well.

Idiot…

Just as Kai was about to snap at his captain for being such an insufferable dick, the dust began to clear and those icy blue eyes came into view. The 16 year old faltered…Tala was _smiling _at him. Not smirking, not laughing just _smiling_…

"…what?" Kai asked almost hesitantly, slightly worried that he'd somehow stumbled into some kind of parallel universe.

The redhead continued to smile at him, silently taking note of the cobweb in his teammate's hair. "Nothing" he replied simply, quickly switching to an alternative topic "…why are you up here anyway? Dickenson was telling us all that this place used to be a castle, and that under _no _circumstances should we venture into the _old _section because it's so easy to get **lost**"

Kai blinked, swiftly forgetting the look he had been given "What are you implying?" he demanded quickly, raising one eyebrow in question.

Tala's smile turned back to a smirk and he shook his head dismissively "Nothing" he assured in a deceptively innocent way, though his eyes did sparkle in amusement as he spoke.

The 16 year old bristled "Good, because I'm not lost" he said resolutely, giving a subconscious little nod to further emphasise his point "…how did you find me anyway?" he asked, suddenly realising how difficult it must've been to track him down in the long, dark passageways.

Again, Tala smirked superiorly "I had Wolborg locate you, he explained proudly "though how you managed to get all the way down here is completely beyond me"

Kai's eye twitched

"…so I guess I should be heading back to the meeting" Tala mumbled, putting both hands in his pockets "…I'm gonna pop back to our room to grab a jacket first though…wanna walk back with me?"

Gritting his teeth, the slate haired youth tried to maintain his composure, as subtle as he was attempting to be, Tala was offering to show him how to get back to their room…he _knew_ his teammate was lost. Kai scowled, finding himself faced with a rather problematic little dilemma. If he went back to the suite with his captain, the redhead would have the satisfaction of having helped him out and could recall the 'favour' every time Kai stepped out of line. However, if the 16 year old chose to remain wondering the corridors, there was no telling how long he'd have to wait until he found his way back to the new part of the hotel…or 'castle' as Tala had told him.

"So are you coming or what?"

Kai glanced up, his eyes narrowing at the expectant redhead "Yeah," he mumbled angrily, lip jutting out into a subconscious pout "I was actually just about to go back anyway"

Tala said nothing, though the very corners of his lips did twitch "Let's go then…"

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So…the inner workings of Kai's mind reveallll…he's in love with his own hair, would dislike looking like an egg annnndddd hates dust…

Erm, this chapter really sucks, I had wanted to put in some fluff but keep Kai and Tala relatively in character at the same time...which I just can't make work lol However, next chapter there shall be some sharing of clothes and other sweet stuffffff XD

From now on, updates will probably only occur once every two weeks. This is because I have A-levels to study for as well as driving lessons etc, however I shall update WHENEVER I can. I'm gonna keep at this fic!! :)

Anyway, please review if you have the time, they really do help to get me off my fat arse and update haha


	5. Under Scrutiny

**WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE**

**CHAPTER FIVE-UNDER SCRUTINY**

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**Disclaimer: **See Chapter One

**Warnings: **Slight sexual connotations, suggestions of man juice LOL

**I M P O R T A N T:** I forgot to mention; although Brooklyn will be in this fic, Kai won't know him (tis slightly AU in that sense) basically, its set 6 months after the G-rev championships but excluding the whole BEGA thing okay? lol

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**Thank youuuuuu** SO much for the reviews, they actually made me blow off my English essay to write this chapter! haha So I'll fail my A-Levels but I'll get this fic done! lol

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Sunday 23rd October, 7.23pm

Securing the thick, white towel around his waist, Kai padded over to the bathroom mirror and wiped away the layer of dripping condensation with his forearm. Catching sight of his reflection, the 16 year old pushed his heavy, wet bangs away from his eyes, his paintless cheeks tinged with pink from the heat of the shower.

It had taken the best part of four minutes to get back to their suite, something that Kai found highly irritating and slightly embarrassing at the same time. It was beyond him how the redhead had managed to find his way back so easily…maybe it had something to do with his bitbeast being a wolf. The ability to flawlessly navigate himself around could be linked to Wolborg…the constant obsession with Kai's whereabouts might've even been related to some kind of pack-mentality.

The 16 frowned, built-in GPS was admittedly useful but the latter was unbearably annoying. The question 'Where have you been" could only be asked so many times before it became startlingly oppressive.

Shaking his head, Kai reached for the tap, only to jerk violently when something pounded against the bathroom door, causing the entire wooden panel to shake.

"KAI! Open the door" a whiney voice demanded "I have to pee!"

The slate haired youth narrowed his eyes at the white marble in front of him, how was he stuck on yet another team full of complete morons?

"That's not my problem, Tala" he called back flatly, raking a hand through his wet hair and causing several drops of water to meander down his bare chest.

"It is if I urinate on the carpet and you have to pay!" the redhead threatened petulantly, though his tone was smooth and tinged with amusement. Kai groaned, he could practically_ feel_ his captains smirk through the door…

"Can't you use Bryan and Spencer's bathroom?" the 16 year old asked coldly, resting his palms on the cool marble surface, shoulder blades flexing ever so slightly as he leant over the sink to turn on the taps. Another almighty thump boomed through the closed door and Kai's eye twitched angrily, his fingers curling to form fists.

"No!" Tala winged, the unmistakable sound of a foot stamping reaching the slate haired youths ears "Let me in!"

Massaging his temples in sheer exasperation, Kai released a deep breath, his stunning amethyst eyes shifting to the small pile of clean clothes just beside the sink.

"…hang on" he surrendered irately, grabbing a pair of boxers from on top of the heap and hastily pulling them on beneath the towel. He was pretty sure that Tala wasn't _quite _desperate enough to relieve himself on the floor but he knew that the redhead would make him feel bad should he refuse to let him in.

Throwing his towel into the laundry hamper, Kai begrudgingly made his way over to the door and unlocked it noisily. Pulling it open with a fierce glare, the 16 year old found himself staring directly into the smirking face of his captain, icy blue eyes sparkling playfully.

"Oh, sorry" the redhead chuckled, observing the younger boys angry expression "I thought you…" Tala's voice trailed away and the older teen frowned, his cool eyes trailing across Kai's torso.

"…what?" the 16 year old asked slowly, feeling unusually self conscious under the redheads scrutinising stare.

Tala continued to frown and Kai felt that familiar heat rise to his cheeks, he hated people staring at him in general but it was far worse when he was half naked.

"You're loosing too much weight" the redhead stated eventually, his icy blue eyes snapping back to Kai's as he shot a serious look at the younger Russian.

Folding his arms to cover himself, the slate haired youth narrowed his eyes "No, I'm not" he assured though a very prominent stab of insecurity did make itself known in his chest. Shifting under the stern look, Kai chanced a look down at himself. Over the passed two weeks, he had dropped four pounds; though it hadn't been intentional…the 16 year old had just _lost_ his appetite. That happened from time to time, it wasn't a big deal, nor was it noticeable in his opinion. Then again, Kai didn't tend to spend a great deal of time looking at himself in a mirror, maybe for those around him, it was more obvious.

"I don't see how my weight is any of your concern" he added eventually "It's not like I've lost a lot and it hasn't affected my performance so it's obviously not a problem, is it?"

Tala's frown deepened, his icy orbs still sweeping across his teammates upper body doubtfully. "Just…don't loose anymore" he instructed flatly, his expression quickly changing from serious back to a more typical look of frivolity.

Kai swallowed, arms still folded tightly across his chest "Don't tell me what to do" he mumbled, his self-confidence having taken a beating from Tala's previous comments.

"I'll do what I like" the redhead dismissed, making his way across the room to the sink and the little pile of clothes just beside it. Pushing said pile onto the floor, Tala hopped up onto the marble surface, swinging his legs playfully.

Kai blinked, more than just a little annoyed that his captain had thrown his clean clothes onto a possibly dirty floor "…thanks" he bit out sarcastically, nabbing a grey t-shirt from the mound and pulling it on, grateful that he was finally able to conceal his apparently 'emaciated' body.

Kai narrowed his eyes at the floor…

The redhead grinned in return "Welcome" he said sweetly, only to have the glare redirected at him.

Sighing at his teammates overly-defensive attitude, Tala slipped off of the marble counter and knelt down, picking up Kai's pyjama bottoms. "Here you go princess," he surrendered with a roll of his eyes, straightening up to hand his teammate the trousers.

Grinding his teeth together, Kai took a step forward and snatched the garments, making sure to do so as viciously as possible. "I thought you needed to pee" the younger Russian stated, pulling on his pyjama bottoms quickly.

"Yeah…" Tala drawled, leaning casually against the sink "...that was a lie; I needed to tell you what happened at the meeting"

Kai deadpanned, wondering why his captain couldn't possibly have waited until he had finished in the bathroom. Tala was like that…purposely inconvenient- he did it to piss him off. Either that or he was curious about the male anatomy and just _had_ to walk in when people were in a state of undress…it was a long shot but Kai could never tell with the strange redhead.

Folding his arms, Kai sighed, one eyebrow raising expectantly "Come on then," he urged "Fill me in"

The redhead blinked, one sharp canine emerging to pull his bottom lip into his mouth as he suppressed a chuckle…that certainly sounded…sexual, though in his sordid mind, most things did. Gulping down his laughter, Tala tried his best not to grin at Kai's total obliviousness. "…you want me to…_fill you in_?" he asked slowly, seeing if this would elicit any kind of reaction from his naïve teammate.

The younger of the two teens frowned "That _is _what I said" he stated impatiently, plucking another towel from the steel rail to dry his hair with.

Tala smirked, shaking his head in disbelief before bringing forth a more serious expression "Okay," he began, jumping back onto the marble as Kai rubbed the towel through his hair "First off, have you looked at the itinerary?"

The 16 year old shook his head, throwing the damp towel into the laundry basket with the other and making his way over to the sink beside Tala. The redhead turned his body to face Kai, watching as the teenager grabbed his toothbrush and wet it beneath the cold tap. "Well, we have to be in the lobby by 9am tomorrow to participate in a hike" Tala explained, trying and failing to imitate the BBA Chairman.

Having squeezed a large globule of toothpaste onto his brush, Kai shot his captain an unenthusiastic look. "A hike? How does that relate to blading?" he asked flatly, pushing his toothbrush into his mouth.

Leaning back on his palms, Tala shrugged "Michael Parker asked that actually," he informed, watching indifferently as Kai scrubbed at his teeth. "Mr. Dickenson _kindly _explained that it encourages teamwork…" he said, looking as though he himself wasn't at all convinced.

Choosing not to attempt a reply, Kai leant further over the sink, and spat the remains of toothpaste from his mouth. Having glanced across at his teammate, Tala was forced to cross his legs when the white mixture left Kai's lips and swirled around the plughole.

In the redhead's opinion, it looked painfully similar to something else…then again, he _was_ an 18 year old boy…with seriously suppressed hormones that were just bursting to get out…

Tapping his fingertips against the cool marble, Tala tried his best to appear casual as Kai spat another mouthful of the white solution into the sink.

The younger placed his toothbrush back in the little glass just next to where Tala was sitting, having finished his unintentional torture. "…so did I miss anything _else_ at the meeting?" he asked impatiently, cocking his head to the side "Or can I go to bed?"

"Bed?" the redhead repeated in surprise, frowning when he glanced at his watch "It's seven thirty! I was gonna see if you wanted to get something to eat"

"I'm not hungry"

Slipping off the counter for a second time, Tala crossed his arms in a highly serious manner, one eyebrow raising suspiciously "…you're not trying to loose weight or something are you?" he demanded, taking a step closer to his teammate whose mouth fell open in surprise.

"What? No!" Kai exclaimed truthfully, completely shocked by the question. Did Tala honestly believe that he was purposely skipping meals in an attempt to loose weight? He was an athlete; he wouldn't put his health at risk for something so trivial "I'm just not hungry" he affirmed.

Tala's frown lessened slightly, only a small crease remaining in his otherwise smooth brow. "Good" he said eventually "…because you're not fat or anything"

Kai blinked "…I know that" he confirmed incredulously, of course he wasn't fat. Despite hating the term with a passion, that slate haired youth was 'genetically perfect' and he knew it. Obviously he wouldn't boast about it or flaunt his appearance but Kai wouldn't deny that he was attractive. However, it was now apparent that Tala thought that he was suffering from some horrible eating disorder just because he'd unintentionally lost a few pounds.

What a complete idiot…

Rolling his eyes at his captain's sheer stupidity, Kai took a deep breath. "So _did _I miss anything else at the meeting?" he asked again

Realising that he had completely deviated from the 16 year olds original question, Tala tried to remember what the horrendously boring, two hour long congregation had consisted of. He knew for a fact that he had come to tell his teammate something important, but it seemed as though the information had escaped him. "Uhh not really" he mumbled "It was just Hiro and Mr. Dickenson talking about curfews and stuff, we're not allowed out after eleven"

Kai nodded

"I was also forced to act as your personal spokesperson," the redhead added with an exasperated shake of his head "All your little friends kept coming up and asking me how you were"

"Little friends?" the slate haired teen repeated, Tala was always so patronising, then again, he wasn't much better...

The older male nodded, a small drop of water catching his eyes as it trickled from Kai's hair down his bare neck. "Yeah, Rei and Max" he elaborated "…and Rick actually, though I believe his exact words were 'hey Tala, where's your boyfriend?'"

The 16 year old raised an eyebrow 'Boyfriend'?... was that some kind of joke?

Tala withheld a chuckle, watching as Kai tried to understand the meaning of such a comment. It didn't surprise him that his naïve teammate had never been the subject of a similar joke…which was quite a feat considering his age. It was weird that somebody could be so knowledgeable yet so horrifically dense at the same time.

Deciding that it would be far too much effort to explain the comment to his sexually oblivious teammate, Tala changed the topic, a small smile gracing his lips. "So…I think I'm gonna jump in the shower and go grab something to eat," he explained casually "you sure you don't want anything?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Kai offered a civil nod "Positive" he mumbled, moving over to the door that led to his bedroom.

"Okay," the 18 year old said softly, watching as the younger Russian retreated "Sleep well"

"…Thanks Tala"

Monday 24th October, 2.56am

Kai shot up in bed, the piercing sound of a fire alarm wrenching him from what had been a very pleasant slumber.

The 16 year old ran a hand through his severely disheveled hair and clambered out of bed, cursing under his breath when the sudden change caused the blood to rush from his head. Stifling a groan, Kai grabbed Dranzer from beneath his pillow and made his way across the room.

Pulling the door open in a fit of annoyance, Kai scowled when the ear-splitting noise intensified. The light from the lounge was blinding to his sleep-laden eyes and the slate haired youth was forced to squint against the bright onslaught, his brow creasing in discomfort as he walked across the cream carpet.

Moments later, a very disgruntled looking redhead stumbled out of his room, rubbing his eyes and yawning in a very ungraceful manner. "What time is it?" he grumbled, voice barely audible above the sound of the fire alarm.

"Three a.m." Kai grunted in an equally displeased tone, he was a morning person on the whole but this was ridiculous "…is there a fire assembly point?" he questioned, gradually becoming more adjusted and coherent.

Tala blinked his tired blue eyes, pulling at the hem of his grey track pants as they slipped rather too low. "Uhh…" he mumbled, trotting over to the door of their room where a distasteful orange notice was pinned "…it says we should go to the car park" he explained

Kai groaned, his shoulders slumping at the thought. It was the middle of the night for god's sake…not to mention it was freezing cold outside.

"Guess we better go then" the redhead shrugged, making a reach for the door handle. The younger of the two nodded, though as he made his way across the room, he caught sight of the black hoodie thrown onto the back of one of the couches.

"…you're not taking your jacket?" Kai asked flatly

Tala frowned, glancing over at the sweatshirt "No, the cold doesn't bother me, ice is my element remember?" he smirked "…you can take it though" he added seriously.

"…I don't want it" the 16 year old insisted almost defensively, folding his arms "I can handle the cold too"

The redheads smirk broadened, he personally found Kai's attitude very amusing. "I never implied you couldn't," he stated smoothly, striding over to the sofa and grabbing the hoodie "But it does_ effect_ you and we don't know how long we're going to be outside so perhaps you should take it _just in case_"

Marching over to the younger Russian, Tala held out the jacket, the tiniest of smiles tugging at his lips. Kai however, didn't look quite so amused and he regarded the clothing almost warily.

"I won't need it" he insisted, though he snatched the sweater regardless and stalked over to the door "Are you coming?" he grumbled, eyes narrowing "Or is _fire_ your element too?"

Tala grinned, following Kai into the hallway.

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Just to clarify, Kai **DOES NOT **have an eating disorder kay? :)

And also, have you noticed how often Kai thinks of Tala as an 'idiot'? I found this rather amusing.

Anyway, not too pleased with this chapter but at least its something

Please review if you have the time, as they help get the chapters up quicker lol


	6. Misplaced  Part I

**WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE**

**CHAPTER SIX-MISPLACED - PART I**

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**Disclaimer: **See Chapter One

**Warnings: **Derogatory thoughts of women

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**Thank you** SO very much for such lovely reviews for the last chapter, I'm so sorry for the wait. As this chapter was rather long, I have split it in two so I could update quicker, the second part will be uploaded within a few days. I only have one exam left now and I will start to revise next week, so hopefully, I'll get three updates done beforehand.

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Monday 24th October, 3.37am

"Sir, I'm sorry to ask again but could you please get off my car?"

The redhead in question rolled his piercing blue eyes but straightened up nonetheless, hands still deep in his pockets as he moved away from the ancient little Honda. "There" he said flatly, shooting the acne-ridden busboy an agitated glare which warranted an amusing little squeak from the teen. Tala smirked, watching as the scrawny boy scuttled back to the rest of the hotel staff who were standing in their own little group on the opposite side of the car park.

Obviously very pleased that he still possessed the ability to terrify complete strangers, the redheads lips curved further and he leant back onto the bonnet of the car, resting his backside on the rusting paintwork carelessly. This time however, his pale hands emerged from his pockets and he began picking at the red paint absentmindedly, tiny flecks of faded ruby falling onto the wet tarmac.

"Well this is fun" the redhead commented eventually, a few of the red fragments sticking to the very tips of his fingers.

"Yeah…" Spencer muttered sarcastically, plopping himself down so he sat cross legged on the cold, damp tarmac.

They had been in the car park for over forty minutes already and it was _freezing. _

Releasing a shallow breath, Kai watched as the vapour rose up in front of his eyes, quickly dispersing into the still air. Shifting on his feet to alleviate the pain from his desperately cold toes, Kai contemplated sneaking back into the hotel to grab a pair of socks that weren't completely soaked from the rain drenched ground. Then again, Hiro was still standing at the entrance…

The BBA coach had taken it upon himself to usher everybody out of the hotel despite Mr Dickenson already having been stationed at the door. Unlike everybody else, who had been forced to remain in their night clothes, Hiro was wearing his beige trousers and shirt, which lead Kai to believe that he slept naked and had to dress before leaving his room.

It wasn't a very pleasant thought…

The coach had been waiting when the Blitzkrieg Boyz had made their way out of the hotel. Upon seeing Kai he'd folded his arms and shot the teen a disapproving glare "Oh I see you've decided to join us this time" he'd drawled, checking off the Russian's names on his clipboard "Feeling better?"

Obviously Kai had ignored the remark and brushed passed Hiro with a blank look on his face. He wouldn't dignify him with a response, he wasn't worth it.

"You okay?"

The 16 year old glanced up at Tala, who was still sitting on the bonnet of the Honda. Bryan and Spencer had begun their own conversation a few metres away and appeared not to have noticed their captain speak.

"Fine" Kai answered shortly

The older Russian tilted his head slightly, his blue eyes trailing across the others face "Warm enough?"

Kai's body stiffened and his brow creased when he detected the smallest hint of a smirk on Tala's lips. So far, he had refused to wear his captain's jacket despite the fact he was freezing. The redhead wore only track pants and a thin black t-shirt and didn't seem at all concerned that he was standing in an Eastern European car park that was currently around minus five degrees. Kai glared at the ground, sure, Russia was far colder but it wasn't like he was forced to stand around in Moscow all night in nothing but his pyjamas. Even when he was outside, it was more than likely that the slate haired teenager was training, which kept him pretty warm.

"Perfectly" Kai bit back after a small pause, turning his head away from the black hoodie that was draped over his left shoulder as if to snub the garment.

Despite his best attempts to conceal it, Tala's smirk became more noticeable and he placed his hands behind him on the cool metal, leaning back onto them in a manner Kai perceived as very arrogant. "You look tired" the redhead stated smoothly.

"I am"

It was then that Tala found himself subjected to _the look. _It was a look that said; 'Don't talk to me, I'm not going to answer you'

The redhead often found himself on the receiving end of that look; usually he'd ignore it and persist in the pointless little conversations he knew annoyed his younger teammate until Kai literally started to twitch and would retreat to his room. But this time, Tala decided to take pity on his youngest teammate, he assumed it had something to do with the fact that Kai looked particularly cute in his pyjamas…then again it may have also been because the slate haired youth's eyes were so bloodshot, he was starting to resemble a Basset hound…

Monday 24th October, 3.46am

"Well hey there stranger"

Kai's dull eyes rose from the black tarmac, his sleep-deprived mind taking far longer to recognise the voice than it should have. Blinking as if to dispel the sluggish haze which had settled somewhere behind his eyes, Kai turned his body to face the owner of the voice, realisation finally hitting him as he set eyes on the tanned face and long, black hair.

"Rei" he greeted flatly, the extent of his politeness.

The Chinese teen smiled, undeterred by the rather bland greeting, he was used to Kai and knew not to take offence. "It's been a long time," he said brightly, amber eyes twinkling as he conversed with his old friend "Still with the Blitzkrieg Boyz I see" he commented, though to Kai's mild surprise he didn't show any hostility when he tilted his head and offered the rest of the Russian's a friendly smile.

Tala frowned, having remained on the bonnet of the car, though he offered the teenager a small nod. Bryan and Spencer however, showed no signs of having even seen the gesture and continued with their conversation in Russian.

Kai briefly contemplated apologising on behalf of the two, but quickly decided it wasn't his problem.

Luckily, Rei didn't seem at all concerned by the lack of manners and he continued to speak. "You haven't changed a bit since the world championships," he said with a chuckle, looking Kai up and down. The Russian folded his arms, deciding that he would bring that up the next time Tala accused him of loosing weight "apart from the pyjamas that is" Rei added with a grin.

The slightly older boy ignored the comment, instead taking the chance to examine the Chinese teen for himself. In his opinion, Rei hadn't changed either, perhaps his hair, which had been left untied, had grown slightly and maybe his shoulders had become a little broader, but other than that, he looked exactly the same as he had done six months before.

Although there was one addition.

Just as Rei opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to enquire about training schedules or something of equal unimportance, Mariah appeared at his side, peering at Kai and the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boyz distrustfully.

For a moment, the slate haired youth was unable to recall any reasons that would warrant such hostility towards him and his teammates. That was until he remembered the world championships in Moscow and how he had, rather easily in his opinion, used Black Dranzer to steal Mariah's and the rest of the White Tigers bit beasts. Unfolding his arms despite the cold, Kai reasoned that Mariah was justified in the dislike she seemed to harbour though decided that he didn't particularly care.

"Hey," Rei greeted "What's up?"

Kai frowned as Mariah took the Chinese boys hand and forcefully draped his arm across her shoulders before shuffling closer and wrapping her own arms around his middle. They had certainly gotten close…

"I'm cold" she mumbled, having refused to acknowledge the Russian's standing before her.

Kai had to try hard not to flinch. Her voice was so…whiney. Then again, he had found that to be the case with most girls, if they weren't being unreasonably bad tempered, they were most probably sitting in a group somewhere discussing ridiculously insignificant things and giggling their heads off. That was another thing the 16 year old was unable to understand, how was it that women could speak so quickly? When they got together, it was as though they were speaking a different language, just jabbering away about…nothing

"-tits"

Kai blinked, head whipping to the left where Bryan and Spencer were standing, still deep in conversation. However, upon Mariah's arrival, their discussion had grown gradually louder and had inadvertently wrenched Kai from his musings with the rather mention of breasts. Wondering if he had heard correctly, the 16 year old shot Spencer a questioning glance, though his blonde teammate was too focused on Bryan's gesticulations to notice. The second oldest of the team was motioning to his chest vigorously, a lecherous smirk on his face as he waved his hands around and pointed at the pink haired female beside Rei.

Kai frowned, chancing a glance at the oblivious girl, his eyes widening in surprise when he observed the size of her breasts. How had he never noticed them before?

The young Russian swallowed thickly…they were _enormous_.

Frown deepening, Kai tilted his head to the side. Surely they got in the way?

"So…I didn't see you during that meeting, Tala said you weren't feeling too good"

Kai quickly shrugged, he certainly hoped Rei hadn't seen him looking at Mariah's chest…that would be embarrassing. Not that the slate haired youth had been leching or anything of the sort, in his opinion, breasts were…well just lumps with nipples on them. Why guys lusted after them, he didn't know. Kai assumed it was just something he would have to accept, along with the shrill voices and gossiping. Shaking his head, the 16 year old decided he was in no hurry to find a girlfriend.

"Rei…" Once again Mariah spoke up, her arms still wound tightly around the Chinese bladers waist "There'll be plenty of time to catch up tomorrow…can we walk around a little to warm ourselves up?"

Sighing softly, Rei nodded, squeezing her shoulder "Sure," he replied with a smile "I guess I'll see you tomorrow Kai"

Offering another civil nod, Kai turned his back on the retreating couple, his eyes coming to rest on the thick forest that surrounded the hotel. The smell of evergreens mixed with rain and wet dirt was potent but quite pleasant at the same time and the almost soothing scent allowed Kai to forget about the bitter cold that assaulted his thinly clad frame.

"Turning into a nature lover now are we?"

The slate haired youth rolled his sleep deprived eyes but refused to look over at his captain. "Excuse me?" he asked blankly, though he didn't really desire any elaboration.

Tala smirked, straightening up and placing his feet on the floor rather than having them rest on the cars dangerously unstable bumper "You're looking into the woods like you wanna go hug some trees" he commented dryly.

Kai bit the insides of his mouth, he was _really _not in the mood for Tala right now. Preparing a very unpleasant look to shoot at the idiot, the slate haired youth spun around, only to stop midway when he caught sight of something flashing across his peripheral vision.

"…Did you see that…?" he asked slowly

The redhead raised one eyebrow and gave Kai a quizzical glance "…see what?" he asked flatly

The 16 year old blinked quickly, turning back to give the trees a scan. He could've sworn he'd seen something dash through them… Taking a small step forward, Kai squinted slightly, the night air was painfully still but the branches of one evergreen tree seemed to move slightly, several of the emerald needles drifting to the ground.

Despite his fatigue, Kai knew he wasn't the type to imagine things and he continued forward, curiosity getting the better of him for the second time since he'd arrived at the hotel.

"And just where are you going?" Tala demanded bluntly as the 16 year old made his way over to the opening of the forest.

His only response was the dismissive wave of Kai's bare hand as he disappeared into the trees…

…

The first thing that struck Kai when he entered the forest was how exceptionally dark it seemed in comparison to the car park, glancing up, the 16 year old realised it was due to the thick, green canopy that expelled any moonlight from the area. It was only thanks to the golden glow of the hotel windows that Kai was able to see _anything_ at all, but as he continued to make his way further into the forest, it grew darker.

Glancing around at the rain-soaked tree trunks, Kai squinted against the darkness, trying to pick out anything unusual. Perhaps he'd just seen an animal dart across the woodland…a deer or something. Then again, his instincts told him it was someone rather than something and Kai was rarely, if ever, wrong.

The young Russian continued forward, treading carefully so not to impale his socked feet on any vicious twigs or stones, a shiver crept up his spine as he went deeper into the woods and he found himself tempted to at least _consider_ wearing Tala's jacket…

Tugging the hoodie off his shoulder, Kai looked back. He could only just see the lights from the hotel now and so with one last glance to make sure the redhead had not followed him, he pulled the jacket over his head. It was soft and it smelt distinctly like Tala- a mixture of deodorant and an oaky scent that was…pleasing to say the least. The hoodie was slightly too large for him but Kai didn't mind, it was warm and…cosy

Curling his fingers around the cuffs that were just a little too long on him, the Russian stepped over a particularly prominent cluster of sticks, though a tiny opening in the trees above him allowed a single beam of moonlight to shine down and highlight something that shouldn't have been there.

Kai frowned, pushing a strand of slate hair behind his ear as he knelt down to inspect the footprint. There was nothing strange about finding a footprint in a forest but…this one was dry. Kai tilted his head to the left, examining the impression carefully. It had been raining up until nightfall, and even if the print had been made after then, within a few minutes the lingering puddles would have seeped into it.

Kai's lips twitched into a victorious smirk, so he wasn't seeing things…

"HEY!"

The 16 year old flinched slightly, the distant voice pulling him from his triumphant reverie.

"KAI, WE CAN GO BACK INSIDE NOW!"

The slate haired youth had often wondered why people chose to describe Tala as graceful…he was anything but. Rolling his eyes and heaving himself up with a dramatic sigh, Kai turned back to the direction of the hotel, only to stop dead when he heard something move behind him.

"KAI! YOU WANNA ANSWER ME!"

The 16 year old swallowed thickly, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, somebody was behind him…watching him. He could sense it…

Clenching his hands into fists, Kai released a small breath, eyes flashing dangerously as he spun on his heal.

Nothing…

Kai blinked in confusion, staring through the trees into the empty darkness of the forest. No one was there.

"Are you deaf or something?"

"Why do you insist on following me everywhere?" Kai snapped, completely ignoring his captain's question and keeping his eyes trained on the evergreens.

The younger Russian bristled when he heard a rush of air shoot from Tala's nostrils, he didn't like it when the redhead laughed at him. That was probably the thing that annoyed him the most about Tala, everyone else would find him terrifying, they'd be in awe of his apathy and feel like fools when he regarded them with such indifference…but Tala…he knew him too well. The redhead wasn't scared of him, didn't fall for his detached attitude, Tala was the only person on the planet that was capable of making Kai Hiwatari feel stupid.

"Why do _you _insist on walking off on your own?" the redhead quipped, his impossibly smooth voice only amplified by the painful silence of the damp forest.

Kai sighed, completely forgetting about whatever had been lurking in the trees. "I'm not a child Tala," he began flatly, preparing a scowl as he turned to face his captain "So I'd appreciate it if you'd…"

The 16 year olds voice trailed away, the rest of his words seemingly caught in his throat as he realised just how close Tala was standing. Kai blinked, finding himself staring into those icy blue eyes that were just inches from his own.

They were too close and he didn't like it…

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**Part II coming soon!**

Should be up within the next two days. Sorry, I am well aware that this chapter is awful, but at least I got it uploaded-was a stuggle!

Please review if you can, they make me smile like some kind of demented monkey.


	7. Misplaced Part II

**WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE**

**CHAPTER 7- MISPLACED – PART II**

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**Disclaimer- **See Chapter One

**Warnings- **ummm nothing?

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**THANNKS! **for the reviews. You lot are really rather lovely ;)

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Monday 24th October, 3.52am

The 16 year olds voice trailed away, the rest of his words seemingly caught in his throat as he realised just how close Tala was standing. Kai blinked, finding himself staring into those icy blue eyes that were just inches from his own.

They were too close and he didn't like it…

Kai swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling very dry "What are you-"

"So you're wearing it hm?" Tala interrupted, a smirk touching his lips as he indicated towards the hoodie, giving the drawstrings on the collar a small tug, his icy fingertips narrowly avoiding making contact with Kai's bare neck.

The younger of the two faltered, having completely forgotten that he was wearing his captains jacket. "Yeah so?" he shrugged defensively "You _did_ lend it to me" he reminded, swatting the redheads hand away, their skin touching for the briefest of moments.

A small chuckle escaped Tala's lips and his smirk grew more noticeable, fingers tingling pleasantly "I know," he said slowly, blue eyes drawn to the dark cuffs of the hoodie which rested an inch or so below Kai's knuckles rather than on his wrists. "I'd rather you wore it than froze your ass of just 'cause you too proud to admit you're cold" he stated, placing both hands on his hips.

Kai flinched severely, for some people it was a blessing having somebody know you so well they could tell what you were thinking, finish you sentences and even recognise your mannerisms. But in Kai's case, it was a curse that he'd much rather be without.

"Whatever" the younger boy muttered awkwardly, a part of him wanted to disagree with the redhead, argue that he hadn't been cold, but Kai knew that he wouldn't be believed anyway…how incredibly mortifying.

Tala chuckled again, shaking his head slowly before he raised one hand and pulled a lonesome evergreen needle from Kai's hair. The 16 year old stiffened considerably but allowed his captain to remove it. Kai pulled his bottom lip into his mouth, refusing to give in and take a step backwards despite the almost painful desire to do so. He didn't want Tala to know how uncomfortable he was feeling and it hadn't occurred to him that the older Russian already knew…

Watching Kai's face carefully, Tala noticed with hawk-like meticulousness how the younger boys eyes looked almost black with no light to reflect them. How the big, dark orbs were trained on the ground and not him. Another tiny step forward and Tala plucked a second, nonexistent needle from Kai's soft hair, making sure to smother the younger boy with his body heat.

The 16 year olds cheeks darkened and he shuddered lightly, a sensation that started at the very base of his spine before creeping up and causing the rest of his body to convulse delicately.

"What's wrong?" Tala queried, his tone dropping to a low whisper as he dipped his head, forcing those gorgeous eyes to meet his own "…you still cold?"

Kai swallowed again, the saliva inching down his throat difficultly. He didn't know why but he suddenly felt very…strange. It was the way Tala was looking at him, he'd never seen it before but it made him feel somewhat edgy…exposed even, it was a very _intense_ look. He didn't like the fact that his breathing was becoming so quick.

"No…" he replied eventually, staring straight ahead at his captain's lips rather than into his eyes- for once he wasn't smirking.

After a brief pause, Tala spoke again "You sure?" It was barely above a whisper but Kai heard it clearly.

"Yeah" he breathed, it was true, he wasn't cold in the slightest. In fact Kai felt hot... very hot, his face in particular seemed to be burning. The slate haired Russian wondered for a moment, if his captain had been right-if he really was sick despite his remarkable immune system.

"…did you say we're allowed back inside?" the younger of the two asked, turning away from Tala as best he could, he felt _funny_.

Something foreign flashed across the redhead's eyes, something Kai didn't quite recognise but it was gone before he had chance to dwell on it. "Yep" Tala replied quickly, pushing both hands into his pockets "I guess we should go back…"

Kai frowned, his own eyes drifting back to the ground. When Tala spoke it was as if he were asking a question rather than making a statement, like he was giving Kai the choice of staying in the forest. The slate haired youth was a little confused and he shifted awkwardly "Well yeah" he said slowly, taking a step to the side "Why would I wanna stay here?"

Tala dropped his gaze suddenly, icy blue eyes on the empty space before him. "No reason" he shrugged breezily "Let's go"

…

The first few minutes of the journey back were walked in complete silence, that is until Kai began to lag somewhat, wondering if his fatigue had something to do with his rising temperature and dry throat.

Glancing back, Tala frowned when he realised that Kai wasn't keeping up "Come on," he ordered "Unless your stumpy little legs aren't fit for the job"

Of course, Kai had glared, though his cheeks were once again assaulted with a prickling heat when Tala turned and smirked at him. The slate haired teen shook his head, promising himself that he would at least _consider_ taking a trip to the doctors when they returned to Russia.

The boys continued to walk in silence, the only noise being the cracking of twigs beneath their feet. At one point, Kai had stopped and turned back to the darkness, the unmistakable sensation that told him he was being watched rose up in the pit of his stomach, but he could see no one. Despite this, his gaze lingered unsurely…

It wasn't until Tala stopped and placed both hands on his hips impatiently that Kai actually dismissed the feeling and kept moving, cheeks still burning as he brushed passed the redhead.

…

A few more minutes passed as the boys weaved their way through the thick tree trunks, the light from the hotel windows finally beginning to seep through the damp woods.

"I could be back in bed now," Tala commented as they stepped onto the cold tarmac "If I hadn't had to come and find you"

Kai bristled despite the jokey tone, quickly realising that no bladers remained in the car park. "I didn't ask you to come and get me" he replied flatly as the group of staff that still lingered outside trundled back into the hotel.

Tala shook his head, trailing across the car park with the younger Russian behind him, he could see Hiro and Mr Dickenson waiting just inside the double doors, holding their clipboards and checklists securely. Kai too, noticed the couple as he and Tala reached the stone steps that led to the entrance, his amethyst eyes drawn particularly to the BBA chairman.

He looked strange. No spectacles, no hat, he didn't even have his cane with him. His thick, grey moustache looked untidy and his royal blue pyjamas were crumpled and thin. Mr Dickenson didn't look official or important, he looked like… a frail old man.

Having reached the top of the steps, Tala was offered a small smile, the tips of the chairman's moustache elevating in a rather comical fashion. The redhead responded with a small tip of his head, hands still shoved deep in his pockets as he crossed the threshold into the beautifully warm hotel. Hiro glanced up, taking his ballpoint pen and scoring off the Russian's name efficiently, tilting his head in dismissal.

Tala snorted, obviously rather amused by Hiro's condescending gesture. The 18 year old shook his head, making his way over to the elevator casually.

Kai resisted the urge to roll his eyes and took a step forward, gaze fixed on the sleek metallic doors of the lift, which had yet to slide open. It wasn't until the 16 year old felt something make contact with his abdomen, that he lowered his gaze.

Kai stared down at Hiro's outstretched arm blankly, regarding the obstruction with a raised eyebrow.

"Mr Dickenson and I need a word with you Kai" His words were authoritative and slicing, when he'd finished speaking the coach pressed his lips together tightly, those boring mahogany eyes serious and patronising at the same time.

The slate haired youth frowned, looking up at Hiro when he dropped his arm "What about?" the Russian asked flatly, he was in no mood for anything but sleep.

Tala, who was still waiting beside the elevator, shot Kai a perplexed frown and began to make his way back over, eyes narrowed doubtfully at the Japanese coach. "What's the hold up?" he asked Kai

However, the 16 year old didn't get a chance to answer as Hiro cut in "I need to speak to your teammate" he said frostily, folding his arms and tilting his up head in a superior fashion.

Mr Dickenson's brow furrowed, his moustache twitching almost anxiously "Now Hiro," he said, his typically cheery tone dampened somewhat "I don't think there's any need to behave so severely just yet, we mustn't forget the 'innocent until proven guilty' notion"

Tala blinked, shooting Kai a baffled frown "Innocent until proven guilty?" he repeated in surprise "What did you do?"

The slate haired youth twitched in annoyance, trust Tala to assume he'd done something wrong. "Nothing" he retorted coldly, turning to face Mr Dickenson "Sir, what is it you think I've done?" being polite wasn't really Kai's thing but he knew when to play the respectable teen card, he wasn't stupid.

Mr Dickenson gave the teenager a friendly smile, tipping his to the side "You see, whilst we were all outside, the hotel manager was able to identify the smoke detector that triggered the fire alarm"

Kai nodded, folding his arms impatiently; so far he couldn't see what this had to do with him and he was growing more and more anxious to go back to bed.

The BBA chairman shifted somewhat, his beady black eyes trained on Kai's amethyst orbs. "I'm told that it was the smoke detector in your room that set off the alarm"

The slate haired youth raised one eyebrow incredulously, an expression that his captain also adapted. "He's made a mistake" Kai assured flatly, making sure to keep eye contact with the chairman.

Mr Dickenson's moustache twitched again and he produced an embroidered handkerchief from the pocket of his pyjama bottoms, gingerly dabbing at his clammy forehead. He had always been overly nervous. "Kai," he began carefully "I'm going to ask you this once-"

"Were you smoking?"

The 16 year old sucked in a deep breath, lips forming a thin line as Hiro stepped before him, blocking the chairman from view. From the corner of his eye, Kai could see Tala smirking, obviously rather amused by the ridiculous accusation.

"Now Hiro," Mr Dickenson piped up "Kai is an athlete, he wouldn't be smoking surely, it's far more likely that Dranzer released some smoke"

The coach's top lip jutted upwards dubiously and he narrowed his eyes at the young Russian in front of him "If you don't mind Stanley, I'd like to have Kai confirm this for himself"

Face the epitome of calm, the slate haired youth levelled Hiro's stare "I don't smoke" he informed bluntly "and even if I did, I wouldn't be doing so in the middle of the night would I?"

The coach's eye twitched in annoyance, he didn't like being regarded with such detachment, it made him feel very unimportant. "So were you beyblading then?" he queried "Was it Dranzer who set off the alarm?"

Kai rolled his eyes, eager to just go back to his room. "No" he replied monotonously "If I had been blading, I would have woken up half the hotel wouldn't I?"

Tala snorted when a particularly large vein popped up beneath the skin on Hiro's temple "That _is _true" he supplied cheerily, desperate to irritate him further.

The coach released a seething breath, sucking at the inside of his cheeks "Kai, as you didn't attend the meeting yesterday, you may not have heard about the disciplinary system we have in place this week" he said in a tone that sounded as though it were meant to be menacing.

Kai couldn't help but feel amused at the attempted threat "…so enlighten me" he drawled, a challenging gleam in his eyes.

"Every time a blader steps out of line, they will be issued with a tournament strike" Hiro explained proudly "If somebody receives three or more, they will be banned from competing in any upcoming tournaments, which is inclusive of the world championships"

Kai stared, his defiant expression slipping away instantly "…what?" he asked slowly "You can't do that"

The coach grinned, folding his arms egotistically "Yes I can" he beamed "So you had better be on your best behaviour this week Kai"

Monday 24th October, 4.06am

"Oh come on, I forgot" Tala sighed, placing both hands on the cool metal rail behind him "I said I'm sorry"

Kai glared at the elevator floor, scuffing his foot against the red carpet as he blew a strand of hair from his face angrily "You specifically came to tell me what I missed at the meeting," he said coldly, lips pursed "and you didn't think to mention it?"

Tala exhaled deeply, he had _intended _to inform Kai of the 'tournament strike' system but for some reason it had slipped his mind... oh yes, that had been the moment Kai began brushing his teeth…The redhead smirked, amused by his own squalid mind

The younger Russian scowled, pushing himself up from his slumped position as the doors slid open. He was ridiculously tired and that insufferable idiot wasn't helping one bit! Stalking down the painfully quiet hallway, Kai came to an abrupt halt at their door, he huffed impatiently, waiting for Tala arrive with the key. "Take your time" he called back frostily, his eye twitching when the redhead just laughed at him.

"Calm down little one" Tala scoffed, pulling the key-card from his pocket and swiping it through the mechanism on the door.

Kai glared. Tala grinned.

Pushing the door open with one hand, the redhead allowed the fuming teenager to duck beneath his arm and storm into the lounge. Tala supposed that he would have laughed once more if he hadn't been subjected to the intoxicating scent from Kai's hair which wafted into his nostrils. The 18 year old blinked dumbly, staring after the boy with a look of intense giddiness on his face, Kai's hair smelt like…nothing he had ever smelt before.

Tala swallowed back his dopey grin, hoping never to forget the odour…it was bliss

Kai stalked across the lounge, weaving his way through the perfectly polished furniture with a feline-like ease. "Night then" Tala laughed, wrenching himself out of his stupor and immediately finding himself falling victim to yet another one of Kai's infamous glares. He should have known not to agitate his teammate when he was sleep deprived, it was a risk even on a good day but to tease Kai when he was tired was definitely not a great idea.

A notion that the redhead found incredibly scary and horrendously endearing at the same time…

"Tala…"

The redhead glanced up, his blue eyes slightly glazed "Yeah?" he replied, the small smile that had fought its way to his lips still lingering there of its own free will.

When Kai didn't reply Tala released a soft sigh and wandered over to his bedroom door though his brow contorted severely when he was hit with a burst of freezing cold air. "…Why are your balcony doors open?" the redhead queried simply, one eyebrow elevating in confusion.

Kai stood in the centre of the dark room, lips parted slightly as he stared at the open doors. "I…don't know" he admitted flatly, turning to face his captain "They were locked when I left…"

Tala cocked his head to the right, clear blue eyes on the stars outside "You sure?" he asked, not intending to sound quite so incredulous.

Kai rolled his eyes angrily, unfolding his arms as he made his way over to the balcony "Of course I am" he confirmed irately, pulling both doors shut with a bang, plummeting the room into an eerie silence.

The redhead blinked, trying to think of a reasonable explanation "…well" he began slowly "Dickenson said the manager was snooping around right? Maybe one of the staff opened them"

Kai faltered as if considering the idea "…why would they do that in the first place…?" he asked quietly, his expression thoughtful "It's freezing in here now" he muttered, tugging at the cuffs of his borrowed hoodie

Once again, Tala was forced to shrug "I don't know" he confessed, drawing in a deep breath "But…if you're cold in here you can sleep in my room?" the redhead's bottom lip disappeared into his mouth and he transferred his weight from one foot to the other.

"My scarf's gone…"

Tala looked up, he had been expecting an answer to his rather impromptu question, not a complete change of topic and to his mild disappointment, Kai hadn't appeared to have even heard his offer.

"Your scarf?"

The 16 year old ran a hand through his dishevelled slate hair, tired eyes fixed on the bedside table. "Yeah…" he replied, pointing to the empty space just next to the gaudy alarm clock "It was dirty from earlier…so I left it"

Drumming his fingertips on the fabric of his track pants, Tala moved over to his teammate. "I'm sure one of the maids saw it and took it to be cleaned" he said confidently, offering the younger teen a reassuring smile "Don't worry, it'll turn up"

Despite his captain's rather goodhearted attempt at comfort, Kai narrowed his eyes at the redhead "I'm not _worried_," he clarified hotly "It's just…strange…"

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Fuck me that was EFFORT! Hope it doesn't seem **too **rushed?

I struggled with this chapter…a GREAT deal, but at least its on time!

One more update to come this week

**Review** if you can! They make me weep with joy…almost :D


	8. Misunderstandings

**WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE**

**CHAPTER 8 – MISUNDERSTANDINGS**

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**Disclaimer: **See Chapter One

**Warnings: **A KISS!

**Important: **As of chapter 9, I'm gonna put the rating up-just to be safe

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Oh crap, I'm so **sorry** this update took so long. I just can't seem to write whilst I'm in college. Luckily I have broken up for summer and should hopefully get a LOT of updates done by the time I have to go back!

Just a **warning**, this chapter is awful…and out of character…but I'm posting it regardless because I physically can't make it better at the moment :/

**THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH for the reviews. **I was so pleased with the responses I got for chapter 7, you're all so lovely! Hope the **KISS** in this chapter makes up for the long wait ::^^

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Monday 24th October, 7.47 am

Tala leant up on the very tips of his toes, shooting his reflection a toothy grin and running his cerise tongue across the freshly brushed enamel of his incisors. Eyes sparkling in unashamed admiration, the redhead placed his toothbrush back into the spotless glass beside Kai's and began work on his hair, sweeping the newly gelled strands into place with his palms.

Despite the blinding florescent tube that ran the perimeter of the mirror, Tala continued to stare at himself with utmost appreciation, the harsh lighting unable to detract from his flawless, ivory complexion and dazzling blue eyes.

For most people, it was a hard task to be beautiful but for Tala, it was effortless. He happened to be one of those lucky individuals who could just roll out of bed and still look perfect. It was something he had grown quite proud of over the years and since becoming a teenager, he'd actually begun to pay attention to his appearance, making a special effort to tweak and groom until he looked _better _than perfect.

Wetting the tip of his index finger with his tongue, Tala set about shaping his eyebrows, ensuring that none of the short, red hairs could fall out of place and potentially devalue his masterful grooming skills. The 18 year old frowned, pulling his bottom lip into his mouth in the epitome of concentration as he attempted to pluck a stray hair that just wouldn't stay in place.

"You're unbelievably vain, Tala"

The redhead tensed in surprise but smirked at the comment, Kai's dry tone eliciting a sense of amusement despite the irritating little hair that refused to budge. "And you're unbelievably hypocritical," he countered, keeping his eyes trained on the mirror "I thought you didn't like it when people just burst into the bathroom-let alone without knocking first"

Tala's smirk grew when he heard Kai shift awkwardly, that familiar whoosh of air that formulated a scoff also reached his sensitive ears. "I didn't know you were in here," the younger Russian admitted, though his tone was hard and unabashed "Besides, you weren't doing anything, just gawking at your own reflection as usual" he added with an unmistakable sense of hostility.

Tala shook his head dismissively, not at all bothered by the almost resentful tone-he had grown used to it after all…

Dragging his gaze away from his gorgeous reflection, the Russian in question opened his mouth to respond, only to quickly close it when he set eyes on the 16 year old, both eyebrows arching simultaneously. "Did you only just get up?" he demanded incredulously, his expression instantly transforming to a combination of shock and mirth.

Kai stood in the doorway, the right side of his body pressed into the wooden frame lethargically. His hair was in complete disarray and his night clothes were crumpled beyond comprehension. Tala's icy orbs flittered across the thick hoodie and dark rimmed eyes, sucking at the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from laughing. It was astonishing how Kai could appear so faultless and perfect in public yet look like _that _after a rough night, though Tala had to admit, it did suit him rather well. In fact, he was slightly envious that somebody in such a state could still look like the most attractive thing in existence. Of course, his jealously was completely outweighed by the far more intense feeling of lust…

"…I was tired" the younger teen scowled defensively, hauling Tala from his progressively impure daydream.

"I knew you were tired," the redhead replied eventually, his smirk having returned "But you're not the type for lie-ins"

Kai's scowl deepened, his narrowed eyes twitching in annoyance "Is it a crime for me to sleep in?" he glowered, pushing himself away from the doorframe and stepping into the bathroom boldly "Now, I have to shower so can you kindly leave your reflection for five minutes so I can get ready for this stupid hike?"

Tala grinned, unable to find Kai's petulant pout anything less than hilarious. "Fine," he surrendered, holding up his hands submissively "I'll be in the lounge".

Kai nodded, watching as Tala finally left the room, his brow still creased and complimenting his unintentionally humorous pout as he locked the door behind his captain.

Monday 24th October, 9.03 am

By the time Kai and Tala reached the lobby for their 'hike', the vast majority of 'bladers staying at the hotel had already gathered there. They stood around the reception desk in an enormous group, all chattering excitedly and catching up with one another. The sheer volume of so many excitable teenagers was staggering and Tala visibly cringed as he was forced to weave his way through the crowd to reach Bryan and Spencer.

Kai followed somewhat languidly, ducking his head and training his eyes to the floor when he saw Tyson and Daichi squabbling just metres away. The last thing he wanted was to be spotted by the pair and have to talk to them-especially when he was so tired. The slate haired youth was still rather mortified that he had actually managed to sleep until nearly 8am, though he hid his embarrassment impeccably.

"Where have you two been?" Spencer asked when they reached him, his deep voice barely audible above the other deafening conversations.

Tala began to reply; only to roll his eyes when Emily of the All Starz took a clumsy step backwards and nearly crushed his foot. "Oh, sorry!" she beamed in that maddeningly shrill voice, pushing her oversized glasses further up her freckled nose and offering the Russian an apologetic smile. Tala's top lip quirked in aversion and he abruptly turned his back to the young woman, only to have her huff noisily and mutter something about 'rudeness'.

"We're late because I had to wait for sleeping beauty" he told Spencer flatly, a smirk touching his lips when Kai's head snapped up to reveal a ferocious scowl and that tinge of pink that was starting to become so common. The burly blonde chuckled at the expression and Bryan too offered the tiniest of scoffs, having found it far too difficult not to be amused by the 16 year olds glare.

Kai's left eye twitched in annoyance and he flexed his fingers angrily. His so-called 'teammates' were growing far too comfortable in his presence, at least when he had been with the BBA Revolutions they'd leave him in peace when he shot them one of his infamous glares but they seemed to have no effect on Tala Bryan and Spencer. In Kai's opinion, the Blitzkrieg Boys were becoming far too complacent with his position on the team…Perhaps he shouldn't have remained with them after all, he didn't like how relaxed they were getting with him…

"Everybody listen up!"

The pompous tone echoed throughout the enormous lobby and the chatter that had been so loud quickly died down. Kai immediately grimaced and turned his head in the direction of the exceedingly arrogant tone, unable to stop himself from gaping at Hiro's choice of attire. The BBA coach had never been one for particularly stylish clothing but this was just embarrassing…Even Tala snorted in disbelief when he set eyes on him.

Hiro wore a pair of robust, brown hiking boots and long, khaki shorts that were absolutely covered in pockets. His hair was tied back as usual but covered by a painfully comical sun hat complete with drawstrings to keep it on securely. As if that weren't enough, he was sporting a pale blue polo shirt and deep green gilet with the BBA logo printed in enormous letters on the back. He looked awful…

Catching Kai's eye for the briefest of moments, Hiro produced a cheap looking purple clipboard and continued loudly "As you all know, we're going on a hike today," There was a distinct groan from the crowd of bladers which the coach promptly ignored, "So, pair up and make your way to the car park so I can give out the maps, we'll meet for lunch at 12pm sharp"

Another, louder groan resonated from the group and they began to make their way to the imposing oak doors, shoulders slumped dejectedly at the thought of the imminent and pointless trek.

Kai sighed unenthusiastically and risked a glance at his captain who was wearing a similar expression of disinterest. "I told you this week would be a waste of time" the younger boy muttered, following as Bryan and Spencer began to move over to the entrance. Tala snorted, zipping up his jacket as they stepped over the threshold and into the car park "Actually, I believe it was _me _who said that" he argued light-heartedly.

The 16 year old frowned, his amethyst irises shifting upwards as he tried to recall who had made the comment "No, it was me" he said decisively, despite knowing full well that it had actually been his captain who had first criticised the idea of a 'team building trip'. He'd much rather lie than admit to being wrong.

Tala smirked, watching as Hiro marched around the car park dispensing his maps. "Of course" he replied indulgently as the coach advanced towards them, though he did shoot Kai a knowing look which warranted yet another scowl from the younger Russian.

"I take it you two are pairing up?"

Hiro gave both boys an unimpressed frown and thrust a map and compass into Tala's arms before either teen could respond. "No funny business today," he instructed, tramping over to Bryan and Spencer to give them their equipment "I've got my eye on you two" he called over his shoulder, giving Kai and Tala a stern look.

The redhead held back a laugh and nodded "We'll be good as gold" he ensured, lips curling when Hiro's bag of compasses became tangled. The BBA employee glowered, tugging at the mass of string angrily.

"Well what are you waiting for?" he demanded irately "Get going!"

Monday 24th October, 9.26 am

Tala narrowed his stunning blue eyes at the ground and pulled his muck covered boot from the sodden dirt. He watched sullenly as a fat globule of mud slid from his toe to his heel before hitting the wet earth with an undignified plop. Rolling his eyes gloomily, Tala unfolded the map once more, his cerulean orbs sweeping across the near indecipherable diagram.

"Okay…" he muttered "We need to head south"

"We _are _heading south"

Tala glanced over his shoulder, his face immediately brightening at the sight of Kai's colossal sulk. The younger boy had his arms folded, lips pressed into a thin line as he stomped through the mud, his body rigid with annoyance. Tala knew it was wrong to take pleasure from other people's misery but Kai just looked so funny.

"No Kai, we're heading west"

The 16 year old bristled at the patronising tone and marched over to his captain, grabbing the compass from around his neck and tugging at it viciously. "See, south!" he spat, releasing the string before he pulled just a little too hard and choked the redhead…not that it wasn't tempting.

Tala tilted his head, looking down at the little dial sceptically "…oh"

Kai ground his teeth together, trapping and advancing growl from leaving his throat. "So we're lost then" he stated icily, his bottom lip jutting out in displeasure, he _knew _he shouldn't have let Tala read the map! Placing both hands on his hips, he looked around. The forest was incredibly thick and it was obvious that finding their way back would be extremely difficult-if not impossible.

Tala's lips twitched as he tried to conceal a grin and he pushed his hands into his pockets casually. The redhead assumed that he should have felt a sense of worry at the thought of being lost in an unfamiliar place but the idea of being alone in a big, dark forest with Kai was a disturbingly appealing prospect.

"Calm down," he drawled nonchalantly, refolding the map and slipping it into his back pocket "You're forgetting that I have outstanding navigation skills"

The younger teen deadpanned, a vein protruding from his temple "Clearly" he muttered, his voice laced with a venomous sarcasm.

Tala sighed softly and began making his way through the trees despite the mud he despised so much "Geez you sure do get bitchy when you lose sleep…" he said quietly, a guilty chuckle evading his lips when he heard Kai stop just behind him.

"What did you say?"

It was obvious from his slicing tone that Kai had heard perfectly but Tala refused to turn back "Nothing" he assured, trudging through the thick, brown muck carefully. The slate haired youth huffed irately but followed nonetheless, eager to complete the trek so he could go back to the hotel.

Monday 24th October, 10.49 am

"Will you _keep up!" _

Kai clenched his fists, chest rumbling as a deadly snarl crept up his throat. "I _am _keeping up" he muttered through grit teeth, clomping forwards and pushing past the redhead roughly "_You_ have no idea where we're going!"

Tala recoiled slightly, his mouth falling open in mock hurt at the remark "That's not true!" he defended hotly, placing one hand on his hip"I know exactly where we are…approximately"

The muscles in Kai's jaw flexed and he pressed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets, fingers curling into his hair and scraping at the skin of his scalp. "Approximately?" he repeated, silently seething "Admit it; you don't have a clue where we are!" The slate haired youth huffed loudly, nostrils flaring as the air whooshed out of his nose. "I can't believe this" he grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning himself against the nearest tree trunk with a dramatic growl. Tala grinned, though quickly disguised it when he was subjected to a truly heinous scowl. Mirroring the younger Russian's movements and pressing his body against a damp, mossy tree trunk, Tala cocked his head to one side, staring directly at the 16 year old. He certainly got chatty when he was angry...

"Let me see the map"

The redhead permitted himself a smooth chuckle, wondering why he had been foolish enough to assume that Kai would allow him to take control of their little expedition. "Fine," he replied lightly, reaching into his back pocket for the map "But just so you know; it's impossible to read and…" Tala's voice trailed away and he began to pat his pocket somewhat frenziedly, a tense yet amused smile pulling at his lips. "Slight problem…" he said slowly, watching as Kai shook his head in disbelief "I seem to have misplaced our map"

The younger of the two teens didn't say a word, instead he slid to the base of the tree, crossing his legs on the layer of crisp, fallen leaves that covered the damp earth. "I'm not moving" he said simply, Tala had already succeeded in getting them both completely lost and Kai wasn't about to let him make things any worse than they already were.

Tala rolled his eyes, pulling his leg up and resting his foot against the tree trunk behind him. "You're so negative" he observed.

Biting the insides of his cheeks to stop himself from saying something truly nasty to the redhead, Kai looked up, his eyes drifting across the lean body just metres before him "I'm not being negative," he clarified slowly, hoping that this would somehow infiltrate Tala's bubble of ignorance "But we don't even know which direction we're supposed to be headed and its not like we can go back to the hotel either" Leaning back against the cool bark, Kai pressed his back into the wood, a pleasant tingle rushing across his skin as the damp penetrated his jacket.

"Look," Tala began, adopting an almost serious tone "Neither of us particularly care about winning this thing, I'm sure if we explain that we lost our map, Hiro will accept the fact that we couldn't get to the clearing on time"

Kai sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, teeth scraping against the pink flesh agitatedly "You're right," he accepted, much to Tala's surprise "I don't care about completing this hike, but I _do _care about getting back to the hotel..."

Once again, the redhead shot his teammate a carefree glance and tipped his head calmly "Alright, I admit, I have no idea where we're meant to go, but I'm pretty certain I can get us back to the hotel"

Kai snorted incredulously, on the verge of throttling his idiotic captain "Oh" he spoke, feigning curiosity "And just what makes you think that?"

"Well I can see it from here…"

The 16 year old blinked, whipping his head around in one fluid movement "What?" he demanded, pulling himself to his feet and peering through the trees.

Tala sighed to conceal his amusement and straightened up "Come here" he ordered, curling his finger as an indication for Kai to move. The slate haired Russian frowned at the belittling gesture but trotted over to the redhead nonetheless, a look of distrust flickering across his handsome features.

"Right," Tala murmured, extending his arm and pointing through a particularly dense area of forest "Can you see the brick? That's the roof"

Kai dipped his head slightly, squinting as he tried to spot the illusive hotel whilst the redhead beside him waited, his chest constricting when Kai's warm breath ghosted across his exposed hand. "I don't see anything" the younger teen stated after a few seconds, turning back to his captain with a suspicious look on his face.

Tala exhaled deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose before clamping his hands around Kai's shoulders and forcing him a few inches to the left "Its right there" he stressed, pressing his fingers to Kai's chin and turning his head. The 16 year old tensed instantly, his body stiffening at the sudden contact and his face flushing.

Tala paused, his thumb and index finger still on either side of Kai's chin. He blinked his piercing blue eyes as the heat beneath his fingers intensified, a hot rosiness creeping across the younger Russian's flesh. Tala swallowed, his nose mere inches from the dark hair at the back of Kai's head. Once again, the older teen felt a shaky breath dance across his hand before he was swatted away roughly.

Kai narrowed his eyes, trying to will away the burning sensation that plagued his face. He was now certain that the redhead wore some kind of aftershave that he was allergic to, after all, his cheeks would only heat up when Tala came especially close… though he was almost certain that Tala hadn't brought any cologne with him on this particular trip.

The 16 year old shook his head, dismissing the irrelevant thoughts as he continued to search for the building, his dark amethyst eyes sweeping through the shadowy trees, eventually stopping on a tiny area of grey. Kai squinted and took a small step forward, his eyes focusing on what appeared to be a very distant section of brickwork with several minute windows dotted amongst it.

"Oh…" he muttered awkwardly, folding his arms "I see it"

Kai took a deep breath, waiting for the inevitable 'I told you so' comments, though to his surprise, Tala was completely silent. The slate haired Russian blinked, his lilac eyes drifting away from the grey walls of the distant hotel as something warm rushed across the shell of his ear. Kai bristled instantly, his back arching as the odd sensation sent a shiver racing up his spine, he frowned and brought his hand up to cover the sensitive skin, quickly turning to establish the cause of such an odd feeling.

However, Kai openly gasped when he found himself less than an inch away from his captain's face, their noses almost touching.

The 16 year olds eyes widened and his cheeks, which had paled considerably, were once again assaulted by that inevitable blast of pink when he felt Tala draw in a deep breath, the cool air rushing across his lips as it was sucked into the others mouth. Kai swallowed difficultly, trying desperately not to breathe. He looked directly into the icy blue eyes, unable to recognise the emotion flickering across them. Ignoring the painful tightness in his chest, Kai took a step backwards, desperate to establish some space between himself and the redhead.

"…Tala…" he uttered quietly, his entire body feeling stiflingly hot "What are you doing…?"

Kai's breath caught when he felt his back make contact with something rough and damp. His hands, which hung limply by his sides, reached backwards instinctively, fingernails digging into the wet, dirty moss of a thick tree trunk.

Grinding his teeth together, Kai fought the unbearable urge to look away from those piercing eyes, his throat dry and stomach knotted. He watched powerlessly as Tala moved closer, pressing himself harder against the bark as his captain approached, unable to run despite the overwhelming desire to do so.

The 16 year olds form was rigid, ready to lash out should his captain make any sudden movements but as he drew closer, their body's brushing against each others, Kai felt an unknown feeling shoot through his veins, something that could only be described as electrical and he took a sudden, deep breath.

The slate haired youth felt sick, he didn't understand what was going on, why his captain was acting so strangely. He despised being trapped so closely to somebody, somebody who, up until only a few moments ago, he would have begrudgingly admitted to trusting.

Tala watched the younger boy closely, his trepidation was obvious but he hadn't tried to get away from him. The redhead clenched his clammy hands into fists, the pink blush on Kai's painted cheeks urging him forwards. Tala's eyes darted to the dark, amethyst irises and the hugely dilated pupils within them. Those abnormally large, unsteady orbs followed every movement he made, constricting in utter dismay when he dipped his head and pressed their lips together…

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MWAHAHA

**Duuudeee**…they've finally dubbed Metal Fusion Beyblade. This makes me die inside lol. It's not too bad in all honesty; I just miss the old characters and refuse to enjoy anything without them in it. One thing I _do _happen to like about the new series is the fact that they've kept the original Japanese names which tend to change during the dubbing process. The art style is pretty cool too-very comparable to G-Rev if you ask me ;)

I'll update soon, if you lot actually **_like _**this dreadful excuse for a chapter :/

Review if you can and I'll **adore** you forever – no joke!


	9. Bad Blood Between Friends

**WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE**

**CHAPTER 9 – BAD BLOOD BETWEEN FRIENDS**

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**Disclaimer: **See Chapter One

**Warnings: **Swearing

**Authors Note: **I know that last time round I said that this chapter would incur an 'M' rating but actually, I'll put the rating up** next** chapter. There isn't anything erm…'rude' just yet but there will be some slight violence in chapter 10.

Also, the first part of this update is quite Tala-centric whilst the second part is more focused on Kai.

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Goodness gracious me! XD Thank you sooooooo much for the reviews, they were really lovely! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Monday 24th October, 10.57 am

Tala's eyes drifted closed, his curled lips prickling with a heat so intense that it felt as though they were on fire. The redhead could feel rushes of his own breath wafting up passed his nose, it was minty and hot, somewhat stifling against Kai's cool face which was completely still. As far as Tala could tell, the younger Russian wasn't breathing...

He could feel the 16 year olds motionless body against his own, it was painfully rigid but exuded a warmth that was unlike anything Tala had ever experienced before. The redheads form relaxed somewhat when he experienced the incredible sensation of Kai's beating heart against his own, their torsos pressed together with only two thin layers of clothing to separate them. Tala allowed himself a shallow breath, the potent air dragged into his nostrils smelt like a fusion of coconut and papaya, a concoction that he knew to be Kai's shower gel, needless to say, the redhead quickly swallowed the excessive amount of saliva that had gathered on his tongue.

Parting his lips just a fraction, Tala tilted his head to one side and pressed his body closer to the younger boys, one hand finding its way to the coarse bark just behind him. The redhead couldn't get over how strange it felt to be kissing Kai, it was something he had imagined on numerous occasions but the sensation itself was entirely different to what he had expected. There were so many things he hadn't considered when envisaging the moment, the smells, the tastes, the way that Kai's lips, despite constantly being arranged into patronising smirks, would feel so amazingly soft. Tala had also failed to predict the glorious warmth that would ooze through his body when Kai's limp hands began to react, slipping between their torsos and coming to lie on his chest…

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Tala stumbled backwards, the air from his lungs fleeing his lips in a choked cough as he attempted to catch himself. Despite the uneven ground, which was now just a sludgy blend of mud and gangly tree roots, the redhead regained his footing, his childhood of relentless training becoming painfully evident as he managed to steady himself.

The shove itself hadn't been nearly as severe as Kai had intended but with Tala's chest pressed up against his own, the slate haired youth had found himself with very little room to gain the necessary impetus to get his captain away from him and had been forced to slide his flattened palms between their bodies before he was able to push Tala off, his elbows slamming into the tree as he did so.

The redhead narrowed his eyes in a highly disgruntled manner, lips still prickling from their short but perfect kiss. In his opinion, Kai had certainly chosen a very inappropriate time to get flustered. He knew his actions had been slightly out of the blue but there was no reason for the younger Russian to panic and put a stop to their special moment so aggressively. Then again, finding out you were gay was a pretty big deal for anybody…let alone for Kai.

Releasing a displeased breath, Tala placed his hands on his hips "What's wrong?" he asked flatly, though the 18 year old was unable to quell the sharp pang of anxiety that hit him when he looked at the younger teen…

Kai's light slate bangs covered his eyes, his head lowered with only the bottom part of his face exposed. Tala could see the blue markings on his cheeks and his pink lips which were pressed into a thin line. Maybe a direct approach hadn't been the best idea…The redhead swallowed thickly, masking his sudden trepidation with a look of annoyance and sucking at the insides of his cheeks when Kai finally began to move. The 16 year olds dangling fingers curled, the tendons in his hands rolling across the flexing knuckles hypnotically. "What's wrong…?" he repeated, drawing Tala's attention back to his face and the lips that had just uttered those painfully quiet words.

"What's _wrong!"_

Tala jerked, his eyes widening in shock when Kai's head snapped up to reveal a look of absolute fury. His amethyst orbs, which looked almost plum coloured in the murky forest, were dotted with sizzling crimson flecks and the muscles in his jaw were contracted into a ferocious snarl. Tala blinked, the concern in his chest building, he hadn't seen Kai look so openly pissed in…well years, the last time being after his grandfather had first placed him in the abbey at the age of six. That had certainly been a violent week…though Tala doubted that Kai would remember it with his _convenient_ memory lapses…

The redhead straightened up as best he could and levelled Kai's livid gaze "Look," he began calmly, his face perfectly composed "I understand that this is difficult to get your head around but don't worry, we don't have to tell anybody just yet"

A look of confusion flittered across Kai's line of vision before his narrowed eyes hardened and he shook his head in disbelief "What do you mean we don't have to tell anybody!" he demanded, his voice a strict hiss "There's nothing to tell; you kissed me and I pushed you away because," the slate haired youth paused and took a step forward, his expression an ugly contortion of rage and abhorrence "Unlike you, _I'm _not fucking _gay!"_

Tala felt something cold and tight establish itself in his stomach; Kai had said that word with such…repulsion. But that was impossible because only moments ago the 16 year old had been consensually kissing him…hadn't he…?

The redhead pulled his bottom lip into his mouth, Kai hadn't exactly been responding but he had assumed that the younger teen was somewhat timid and inexperienced, could he have been wrong? Was Kai just in shock…?

Tala dug his nails into his cool palms, heart beginning to pump faster at the thought. He glanced back up to see that Kai had turned away, one hand covering his mouth as he shook his head in utter astonishment. Every few seconds he would turn back to his captain and shoot him a look of absolute disgust before settling his gaze on the wet ground. "I can't…" Kai ran a hand through his hair, eyes ablaze with resentment "I can't believe you! What the hell were you thinking!" he shouted, face red with anger.

Tala swallowed thickly, suddenly rather worried "I was thinking…" he began quietly, though his voice grew louder when he remembered why he had kissed Kai in the first place "I was thinking you've been giving me signals for months…and I had to do something about it…"

He watched as the slate haired youth's mouth fell open in complete amazement, an expression that he would have tried to conceal had they been in any other situation. "Signals?" he repeated, again in a shout "What signals!"

The redhead pressed his lips together in frustration, the tingling sensation having long since ceased "Oh I don't know," he started in an unintentionally patronising tone that was fuelled by Kai's own aggressive voice "How about the way you blush everytime I get near you? Does that count?" he demanded, releasing an exasperated breath and sending the two strips of crimson hair away from his eyes in an incensed flurry.

Kai's knuckles bulged further from his fists, the protruding bones turning the covering skin a distinct shade of white "I don't _blush_" he spat, baring his teeth as he spoke "You're delusional Tala!". The tendons in his exposed neck tautened and his eyes narrowed into sheer slits as he turned on his heel and began to stomp his way through the mud, little globules of dirt splattering the hems of his jeans as his boots hit the ground.

Tala growled, the deep noise causing his throat to rumble "Kai" he barked after the younger teen, pushing the sleeves of his jacket up to his elbows as he began to pursue his teammate "Get back here, we need to talk about this!"

However even Tala, with his cold eyes and equally icy demeanour, was unable to stop himself from flinching when Kai's head snapped backwards to reveal the most vile expression of loathing and revulsion he had ever witnessed.

"We're done talking" he said, his venomous words drifting through the damp air like some kind of awful toxin that made Tala feel terribly nauseous "Get the hell away from me"

Monday 24th October, 11: 36 am

Kai curled his fingers around the wet blades of grass, a few emerald threads breaking away in his hot palms and coating the skin with moisture. The 16 year old focused his narrowed gaze on his boots, eyelids twitching involuntarily…he was _so _angry…

…

Having left Tala staring after him in the forest, the younger teen had stomped his way through the mud and leaves with shaking fists and such a desire to pummel the redhead that it actually worried him. He had wanted to get away from Tala so badly that it made his head spin, an intense pain settling above his right eye as he stormed through the woods. Kai was sure he wouldn't return to the hotel right away, he had needed time to think and be out in the open, not stuck in a building full of Beybladers, and so when he came across a small clearing at the very edge of the steep hillside, Kai had slipped through the trees and into the glade, delving into his pocket to retrieve Dranzer the moment he reached the grass.

The 16 year old had shifted the cold metal in his palm, slotting the beyblade into its launcher and inserting the ripcord before releasing the 'blade. He was in no mood to train but Kai had needed to clear his head, the mechanical whirring sound of a spinning 'blade always helped him to relax…to think, but Kai knew that even with Dranzer spinning beside him, such a thing wouldn't be possible-not this time.

He had watched as the little device hit the soft earth, instantly disappearing in amongst the tall, jade grass before he took a seat beside his contained bitbeast, eyes drifting over the surrounding area. From where he sat, Kai could quite clearly see the hotel, though he was marginally higher up and so it looked far less menacing than it had done before…

…

Grinding his teeth together, Kai dug his heels deeper into the mud, his mind racing and anger increasing. How dare Tala do that to him…how fucking _dare _he kiss him! The 16 year old closed his eyes, one hand leaving the ground to grab a fistful of hair, the slate strands entwined with several blades of grass that had remained stuck to his palm. Tala was supposed to be his friend, Kai wasn't even afraid to admit that to himself, they were friends…just about. Not just that, Tala was his captain, somebody who he should have been able to trust, who he _had _trusted…

The young Russian unclenched his fist, instead sliding his fingers into his warm hair and running them across his scalp in an infuriated manner. He should have hit the redhead…_hard. _

How had he even let himself get into that situation! Never mind the kiss; he shouldn't have given Tala the opportunity to get that close…to corner him like that. Kai's nails dug into the soft skin at the back of his neck, just beneath the long, dark hair that rested there. He was furious…furious that he had allowed Tala to trap him like that…furious that he'd trusted him…furious that his captain had actually succeeded in making him feel so-

Kai shook his head when the word 'vulnerable' dashed across his mind…Kai Hiwatari never felt vulnerable…it was the epitome of weakness and he was _not _weak. But Tala had forced him into a situation that left him practically defenceless…exposed even.

He hated that…

…he hated himself. It was Tala's fault, obviously, but Kai couldn't help but feel stupid for not reacting sooner, for letting Tala kiss him and catch him off guard.

The slate haired youth swallowed angrily, outraged with himself for being so oblivious. He'd been so confused…it had actually taken a few paralysingly stunned moments for him to realise what Tala had been doing and that was only when the redhead had been bold enough to put his arms around him. Kai felt sick just thinking of it…never had it entered his mind that Tala could do something so stupid…so disgusting.

Letting his hand fall from his hair, Kai tugged the sleeve of his jacket over his knuckles, his elbows still stained green from when they had scraped against the tree trunk. He rubbed the coarse fabric across his lips, which were dry from the cold, unable to understand how somebody he had known for so long could harbour such feelings for him…

It was sick…

The 16 year old kept his lips together as he continued to scour them with his sleeve, sure that if he persisted for much longer they would begin to bleed. But Kai didn't care, he was desperate to remove any trace of the redhead from his mouth…knowing that now he'd be forced to acknowledge that he'd been kissed by another guy…that his first kiss had been with a male.

Kai's stomach churned at the thought…

Monday 24th October, 6: 59 pm

Dull amethyst eyes rose to follow the faint breath that drifted passed Kai's lips and into the night air, dissipating into the darkness around him. The 16 year old kept his breathing even, inhaling air through his nose before allowing it to escape from his mouth and waft upwards like smoke…

Kai was laying now, one hand placed on his chest and moving everytime he took a breath. Dranzer remained spinning beside his head, despite the uneven ground that would send her off balance every few minutes. The Beyblade would falter suddenly, on the verge of toppling over before regaining balance and continuing to rotate, generating a soft sound that was more similar to a hum than anything else. It was a calming noise and Kai rolled his head to one side, watching the 'blade blankly as it spun. His eyes took on a lethargic quality as he observed the hypnotic rotation, cheeks assaulted by the blades of grass beneath his face that offered a tickling sensation.

It was late, he knew, but he'd needed to think…

After a few hours, Kai had stopped contemplating the reasons behind what had happened; why he hadn't been more vigilant, why Tala was deluded enough to think that there was a potential for something between them. Instead he had begun considering his options…technicalities and procedures, deliberations that didn't require any emotional study. It was obvious that he would have to leave the Blitzkrieg Boys…something that made him very irritated, Kai had remained with them for a second year because they were a good team, a strong unit. They suited him well…but now he had to leave because Tala had done something so inappropriate.

The 16 year old had briefly wondered if he would be allowed to swap teams so close to the world championships…he had done so before but this was slightly different. Where would he go? Even his last option, the BBA Revolutions, wouldn't exactly be willing to have him back, despite his level of skill. If he was denied the option of changing teams he didn't know what would happen…Kai could think of a thousand things he'd rather do than remain with the Blitzkrieg Boys after what had happened that morning but…he didn't want to miss out on the championships because of _Tala's_ stupid mistake.

Arranging his lips as if he were about to take a drag from a cigarette, Kai released a deep breath, watching as the tinted air glided over his spinning Beyblade. It was dark and he was freezing…but in Kai's opinion, he deserved to be cold. It was his punishment for letting somebody corner him, for not reacting quickly enough.

It was a strange mentality, but it was _his _mentality nonetheless.

Kai shifted on his back and sat up, his gaze settling on the hotel. The outline was no longer visible against the black, October sky but he could see hundreds of tiny, yellow-lit windows dotted throughout the building. He knew he had to return soon, not because he cared about causing anybody worry, but because he was not willing to receive one of Hiro's ridiculous 'tournament strikes'. It was an awful idea but he had to admit…the thought of being banned from participating in the championships was shaping his behaviour somewhat.

The slate haired youth sighed in irritation, both palms resting on the cold ground just behind him, he chanced another look at Dranzer who was still spinning though a faint glow was leaking out from the bitchip. Kai watched her movements carefully, face void of any emotion as the phoenix swerved and jolted in the long grass, his head tilting just slightly as he wondered why his bitbeast was acting so strangely…

Extending one arm, Kai held out his left hand, waiting for Dranzer to zoom into his awaiting palm as she always did. Though this time, the beyblade remained spinning, its movements erratic and shaky.

The 16 year old openly frowned, his silent order having been completely ignored. Brow creased in confusion, Kai leant forward, once again reaching out for his Beyblade, only to have it dart away from him. The slate haired teen watched in mild bewilderment as the phoenix's glow grew steadily brighter, seeping from the bitchip as you would expect blood to leave a wound underwater. Kai had never seen Dranzer emit such an odd light, it was intense but strangely sinister at the same time…something which he couldn't help but find almost familiar…

"…Dran-"

Kai openly gasped, his eyes widening when a second Beyblade came hurtling through the forest, ripping through the tress before colliding with Dranzer and sending her flying, a light clinking sound coasting through the air as she hit the ground, any movement stopping abruptly. The 16 year old jumped to his feet as the attacking 'blade hit the mud and veered towards him, shooting off the grass and racing towards his face.

Kai darted to the left, the rush of air created by the rocketing beyblade blasted across his cheek, the black metal just narrowly missing his flesh before it tore back into the thick forest and vanished into the darkness, disappearing just as quickly as it had emerged…

The 16 year old stared after it, his amethyst eyes wide and breathing quick. He blinked dumbly, unable to comprehend how Dranzer had been eliminated so easily, how a beyblade could be so strong and quick…even Tyson didn't have enough skill to pull a move like that. Kai swallowed difficultly and grabbed his stationary 'blade from the grass, his shock increasing further when he realised that the solid metal attack ring was cracked.

That was impossible…Kai gripped the beyblade tightly, his stunned gaze lingering on the bitchip which had stopped glowing. Had Dranzer been trying to warn him…?

Glancing back to the pitch black trees, Kai tried to look for a beyblader, anybody who could have initiated such an attack…but the slate haired teen could barely make out anything over a few metres away, it was far too dark.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Kai pocketed his 'blade, he wasn't ready to face Tala…but he was definitely ready to leave the forest…

* * *

God, another awful filler chapter! What the hell is wrong with me? Lol Oh well

Review if you can, they make me **haaappy**, that is the correct spelling by the way…don't question it ;)

Next update will be rated **M**

M for MEG! lol


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